


it's a date (the only problem is it's fake)

by avengerskye



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Henelope friendship, Loosely based on the movie "The perfect date", Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2020-02-21
Packaged: 2020-03-08 04:16:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 99,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18887002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avengerskye/pseuds/avengerskye
Summary: After Landon breaks up with Hope, she's left heartbroken and with her pride deeply wounded. So Hope's best friend comes up with a plan to make Landon jealous and show him what he lost.*This is a Hosie fic*





	1. would you fake go out with me?

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!
> 
> I basically don't know what this is, but I couldn't get it out of my head, so here it is.
> 
> Hope you'll enjoy!

Landon breaks up with Hope a month before homecoming. He says something about them not working out. He gives her a lot of excuses, but not a lot of explanation. He says he's sorry, and just like that, he leaves her standing in the middle of the school's parking lot. Tears are falling from her eyes and people are staring. Hope can't bring herself to care, she's heart broken. She doesn't know how to react. Landon was her first and only boyfriend, so this was her firt heartbreak. It didn't take long before her best friend came running to her, glaring at everyone who dared looking at her.

 

"Hey, what happened?" Penelope asks, her voice gentle.

 

"Landon broke up with me."

 

Hope speaks through her tears, and it hardly comes out. Looking back, she's a bit surprised that Penelope understands instantly, but the short haired girl does. Penelope's eyes grow wide with surprise at first, but then her whole face hardens. Nobody wanted to be on the receving end of Penelope Park's wrath.

 

"I'll kill him."

 

Her hold on Hope loosen for only a moment, but when Penelope hears the sob escaping her best friend, she decides that killing Landon Kirby could wait. The last time Hope cried like this was at her father's funeral. Penelope felt a pang of sadness at the memory. Hope had cried enough in her life, she definitely didn't deserve this.

 

"Come on, Hope. I'll take you home." Penelope says softly to her best friend.

 

Then she guides Hope to her car. The auburn haired girl lets her, the tears still falling from her blue eyes. As Penelope drives out of the parking lot, she steals quick glances to Hope. Her friend is looking out the window, often wiping her tears away. Penelope knows exactly how Hope was feeling at this moment. Her friend was heartbroken, yes, but she was also embarrassed. The whole school had seen her get dumped, then cry. One thing was sure about the Mikaelsons, they were proud people. Landon hadn't just dumped Hope, he had attacked her pride.

 

"Hope, come on, talk to me."

 

Hope turns her head to look at Penelope. Penelope's eyes leave the road for a second to meet her eyes. She sees a lot of things in the ocean of Hope's eyes. Pain, embarrassement, incomprehension, anger...

 

"How could he do this? We've been together for a year now." Hope says, there's a weird calm to her voice. "He told me he loved me at lunch."

 

Penelope doesn't say a thing. She just reaches for Hope's hand with her free hand. Hope intertwines their fingers, grateful for the comfort her friend was offering. Neither of them speaks after that. They ride in silence until Penelope stops the car in the parking of the Mikaelson mansion. Even though she's rich herself, Penelope is always a bit stunned when she witnesses the Mikaelson fortune. The mansion was so big that she used to lose herself in it when she first befriended Hope. However, now she could come through the door without knocking as the mansion was like a second home. Unsurprisingly, no one's home. Hope's aunt Freya and her wife Keelin were Hope's guardians since both of the girl's parents had passed away. Both women were still working, and Penelope was glad that they were.

 

"Go to your room, I'll be there in a second."

 

Hope doesn't argue, doesn't roll her eyes nor does she make a snarky remark about Penelope being bossy. The auburn haired girl just shrug and goes to climb the stairs and go to her room. Penelope sighs, she knows it will be a long ride to get Hope to open up about her feelings. She gets two tubs of ice cream from the fridge. A caramel tub for herself and a chocolate and mint one for Hope. Then she quickly walks upstairs and to Hope's room. The sight that greets her when she comes into the room breaks her heart. Hope is curled on herself on the bed and she's crying. Penelope sets the ice cream tubs on the night stand before getting under the covers. She cuddles Hope, spooning her.

 

"I got ice cream. Even your awful chocolate and mint stuff." Penelope softly whispers. "Let's watch Friends and eat ice cream, okay?"

 

"I hate Friends." Hope says.

 

Penelope snorts. "No, you don't. You always say you do, but deep down you love it."

 

Hope groans. "Fine!"

 

Hope gets out of Penelope's arms and sits up in bed, the short haired girl does the same. Hope motions for Penelope to give her her ice cream, and Penelope does. Hope takes the ice cream, but before opening it she turns on the TV. It takes her a couple of seconds to find the show on Netflix, but as soon as she does, Hope tosses the remote away. She opens the ice cream tub and quickly digs in. They don't talk, they just eat their ice cream while watching their show. It takes an episode and a half for Hope to start talking.

 

"I hate him" Hope says. Penelope looks at her and immediately sees the tears on Hope's cheeks. "I hate him because I love him. I don't understand P."

 

"I know it hurts Hope, but honestly if he leaves you just like that then you're better off." Penelope lets out a breath. "Boys suck. You deserve more than that."

 

Hope gives her best friend a teary smile. "I love you Pen, you know that right?"

 

Penelope smiles too, her noses scrunching up in the process. "You don't have to tell me you love me if you want us to cuddle."

 

Hope rolls her eyes, trying to act annoyed, but she still sets her ice cream down before leaning into Penelope. The dark haired girl sets her ice cream down too, and holds Hope close. She starts playing with the auburn hair, knowing full well how much Hope loves it. Maybe Hope hadn't said much, but at least she didn't shut her off.

 

*****

 

A week had gone by since Landon broke up with Hope. She did her best to hide how she was feeling. She won her first volleyball game of the season, finished her first painting for her art class and even had the highest grades in all her classes. Still, Penelope knew it was all just a distraction. The short haired girl saw every time Hope would glance at Landon, only to be crushed when he wouldn't look her way. The boy seemed happy, and it made Penelope's blood boil.

 

"You need to make him jealous." Penelope drops at lunch one day.

 

Hope gives her a surprised look. "What?"

 

"You heard me. You need to show that mophead what he lost."

 

Hope rolls her eyes. "And how do you think I could do that?"

 

Penelope smirks. "Let's get you a date to homecoming."

 

"That won't work. He knows I don't like anyone here."

 

Penelope thinks for a second before replying. "Then we need to find someone he doesn't know. Let me handle it."

 

The bell rings before Hope could protest, and Penelope was soon gone, leaving a gawking Hope behind. The auburn haired girl loves her best friend to death, but she knew Penelope could have some questionning plans. Most of the times, Hope tried to stay out of it, but now she was directly involved. Hope sighed, she just hoped it wouldn't be that bad.

 

*****

 

After class, Penelope pratically dragged Hope to her car. The short haired girl drove all the way to the Mikaelson mansion. Hope was a little scared to see such an excitement on her friend's face. It couldn't mean anything good. Penelope exposed her plan as soon as they were in Hope's room.

 

"So there's this app called 'The stand-in' and it's exactly what you think it is." Penelope says as she wiggles her eyebrows. "People sign up and propose their services to be stand-ins in exchange of money. They do it for all kind of occasions. To accompany people to weddings, to balls, to prom, to _homecoming_ , and even just to make an ex jealous."

 

"No. No way. This is a horrible idea." Hope says as she shakes her head.

 

"Come on Hope!"

 

"I said no."

 

"Okay, look, let's just look into it. If no one seems fit, then you don't do it." Penelope says with hopeful eyes.

 

Since Hope knows full well Penelope won't drop it until they go through every profile of the app, she agrees. She lets Penelope open an account, dreading the next few hours.

 

*****

 

On the other side of town, Josie Saltzman is having a really bad day. You see, she planned a whole trip to California with her friends for the summer. The only problem is, her car broke down a week ago and she had to get it repaired with the money she had saved for the trip. So now, no one could go because they were all supposed to ride with her. Josie's twin, Lizzie, is particularly upset about the events.

 

"You need to find money. We are not canceling the trip." Lizzie says before storming out of their room.

 

Josie sighs as she watches Lizzie go. Did the blonde really not realize how upset she is? That trip was her idea, her project, and now she couldn't even go. And how is she supposed to get money? Their father refuses to let them have a job. She had to save money for almost two years to even contemplate the idea of going to California.

 

Josie lets herself fall on her bed, tired and sad. If only this day could end already. Maybe she could just nap for a bit, she could find a solution to their problem later. As soon as she closes her eyes, Lizzie barges into the room again. Josie lifts herself onto her elbow to look at her sister. The brunette is surprised to see MG, her best friend, standing next to Lizzie.

 

"MG, hey." Josie says with an easy smile.

 

"Hey Jo." MG answers with his big goofy smile.

 

"Your favorite geek found a solution to our problem." Lizzie says.

 

"Really?" Josie asks, sitting fully on the bed.

 

"It's just an idea." MG says, suddenly looking nervous.

 

"Tell her." Lizzie rushes him.

 

"It's an app. It's called 'The stand-in'. You basically sign-up and offer to accompany people to events and stuff, and they pay you to do it."

 

Josie's eyes grow wide. "Are you trying to pimp me out?"

 

MG quickly backtracks. "What? No! Of course not, it's not like, sexual or anything. You pretend to be their date. Nothing more. The app is like super safe. You have to put your own restrictions and the person paying you is well aware of your limits."

 

"So I basically get paid to go on a date." Josie says.

 

"Exactly! Since you're pansexual and really pretty, I'm sure you'll get a date in no time."

 

Josie blushes at MG's compliment. "Thanks MG."

 

"So what do you say?" Lizzie asks, impatient.

 

Josie looks at her friend and her sister. They both had hope in their eyes, and deep down, Josie knew she couldn't let them down. It would only be a date after all.

 

"Fine, let's do it."

 

Lizzie and MG shared the biggest smile before sitting down on each side of Josie.

 

"Okay, so we already opened an account for you. We just need you to fill the details."

 

Josie chuckles. "You knew I'd say yes, didn't you?"

 

"We strongly hoped you would." Lizzie says with a shrug. "Okay, so let's talk limits. Hand holding?" Josie nods. "Pet names?" Another nod. "It says... intimate touches."

 

Josie shakes her head. "No, no way. I'm not about to let a stranger molest me."

 

Lizzie nods. "Fair enough. Next is kiss on the cheek." Josie shrugs. "We'll write that you're okay with it. Kiss on the lips?"

 

"No." Josie says plainly. "I don't kiss on the first date."

 

MG gives her a sweet smile. "That's all for the limits. Do you want to see the pictures we chose for your profile?"

 

"Yeah."

 

*****

 

"What about this one? His name is Luke, he's 17, just like you. He's cute, don't you think?"

 

"No." Hope says for what feels like the hundreth time.

 

Penelope groans. "We've been through all the guys of the app, Hope. You can't actually tell me you think they're all ugly. I'm not even into them and I have to say some of them were pretty good looking."

 

"I don't want to go out with one of them. What if they turn out to be creeps?"

 

"Well there's definitely a possibility." Penelope thinks for a moment and then her face brightens. "Let's hook you up with a girl!"

 

Hope frowns. "I'm not gay."

 

Penelope rolls her eyes. "It doesn't matter. It's only a fake date, remember?"

 

"One little problem P. , Landon knows I don't like girls." Hope says.

 

"Don't you think it would make him really jealous to see you go out with a girl?"

 

Hope thinks for a moment. Maybe Penelope was right.

 

"Let's see the girls' profiles." Hope finally says.

 

Penelope beams and taps into her phone. Dozens of girls make their appearances on her screen and Hope feels a little weird suddenly. Penelope looks at the profiles, and suggests some of them to Hope. They're about to close the app when a new profile is added to the page.

 

"Josie Saltzman, 16, and lives here in Mystic Falls." Penelope says. "She's cute."

 

Hope takes a closer look. Okay, so this Josie Saltzman is indeed cute. But why does her last name sounds so familiar?

 

"She must go to the Salvatore School." Penelope adds.

 

"I guess so. Can I see?" Hope says.

 

"Oh my god, did someone finally catch your eye?" Penelope teases.

 

"Shut up, and give me the damn phone."

 

Penelope gives Hope the phone. Hope reads every line of Josie's profile, really taking her time to try and figure out who this girl is. She reads the girl's limits in the end, and Hope has to admit they kinda have the same. That's when Hope makes up her mind. She hands Penelope the phone.

 

"Write her a message." Hope simply says.

 

"Oh my god! Really?"

 

"Do it before I change my mind Pen!"

 

Without another moment of hesitation, Penelope taps on the message box. When she's done writing the message, she grins and sends it before checking in with Hope.

 

"What did you write?" Hope asks.

 

"Look for yourself." Penelope shrugs.

 

"What?" Hope snatches the phone from Penelope's hands. "You sent it without showing me! Penelope I can't believe you sometimes."

 

The short haired girl rolls her eyes. "You didn't even read it. I'm sure she'll think you're a real charmer."

 

" _Hey cutie, I need a date to homecoming. Wanna be my arm candy?_ " Hope's eyes are wide when she finishes reading out loud. "I sound like a total creep. I hate you so much right now."

 

Hope's eyebrows form a frown on her face as she thinks of a way to fix this. While the auburn haired girl is deep into her thoughts, Penelope is laughing by her side. She's laughing so much that Hope has to elbow her in the ribs to stop it. Then Hope types on her phone quickly before Penelope takes the phone back.

 

" _Sorry about that. My friend thinks she's funny._ " Penelope reads as she tries to imitate Hope's voice. "At least I was trying to charm her. Now she must think you don't actually need a date. Let me fix that."

 

"Park, I swear if you..." Hope warns, but Penelope is already typing away on the phone.

 

"Hear me out. I wrote : _'I do need a date though. Would you fake go out with me?'_ How does that sound?"

 

Hope archs a brow. "Now you're asking me?"

 

Penelope thinks for a second, then nods. "You're right, I'll just send it."

 

*****

 

Josie is cuddled up on MG's right side as they're watching a movie when her phone alerts her that she has a notification. MG and Lizzie both look at her, bot expectant to know if it's about the fake dating app. Josie rolls her eyes but still reaches for her phone. She's been dreading this moment, it all sounded so weird to her. Sure enough, when she unlocked her phone she found the notification was for the "Stand-in" app.

 

"So?" Lizzie asks.

 

"Someone messaged me." Josie simply says as she opens the app.

 

Josie goes straight to the messages, and she's pleasantly surprised to see it's from a girl. Hope Mikaelson, it feels like she heard that name before. Josie opens the message, and as she reads it she can't help but giggle. That was funny, it had to be a joke though. Then Josie feels MG and Lizzie get closer to look at the message.

 

" _Hey cutie, I need a date to homecoming. Wanna be my arm candy?"_ Lizzie reads out loud. "Ew, he or she can't be serious. You should delete this."

 

"I think she's trying to break the ice. Or maybe she didn't even write this, maybe a friend did. Just like you guys wrote my profile." Josie says, feeling like she has to defend the girl.

 

"It's a she?" MG asks, and Josie nods. "What's her name? Does she live in Mystic Falls?"

 

"She lives in Mystic Falls and her name is Hope Mikaelson. It sounds familiar, right?"

 

Lizzie's eyes widen. "You are so not going out with that bitch! Hope is the captain of Mystic Falls volleyball team. She's basically my worst enemy!"

 

Before Josie has the chance to answer her sister, there's another message coming in. It's from Hope again.

 

"Is it her again?" MG asks, and Josie nods. "What does it say?"

 

" _Sorry about that. My friend thinks she's funny."_ Josie reads out loud. "I told you it must have been a friend of hers."

 

Lizzie gasps and it takes Josie's attention away from her phone. She looks up at her sister who looks outraged.

 

"You actually think my worst enemy is cute." Lizzie narrows her eyes at Josie. "Do I need to remind you this is a fake-dating app?"

 

Josie feels the blush on her cheeks. "What do you mean?"

 

"I think she's talking about the way you were smiling goofily at your phone after you read the message." MG says with a teasing smile.

 

Josie sinks further into the couch as her sister scowl at her, and her best friend teases her. A third message comes to distract her though.

 

" _'I do need a date though. Would you fake go out with me?'"_ Josie reads out loud again.

 

Before either her friend or twin can react, Josie writes a text back.

 

_Hey! I'll do it. Let's make plans ;)_

 

When Josie looks up from her phone, she's met with MG's proud smile and Lizzie's disbelieving face.

 

"You're dead to me!" Lizzie says as she storms out of the living room.

 

Josie quickly gets up and follows her, MG right behing her.

 

"I thought you wanted me to get money for the trip!"

 

"Not by going out with my literal worst enemy!"

 

Josie rolls her eyes. "You're so dramatic. She can't be that bad." She sighs. "Anyway, this is only a fake date. Nothing to be dramatic about."

 

Lizzie screams and starts walking to their room again. When she gets inside, she slams the door and locks it. When Josie gets there, she finds the door locked.

 

"Really Lizzie?!" Josie yells. "That's so immature of you! I can't believe it."

 

When she turns around, she's met with MG awkwardly standing there.

 

Josie sighs. "Did you bring Deadpool 2?"

 

"Yeah."

 

Josie nods. "Good. Let's watch it."

 


	2. they're flirting!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! 
> 
> A big thank to everyone who took some time to leave a comment, it means the world to me!
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!

t's been three days since Hope messaged Josie Saltzman for the first time. Since that day, they exchanged numbers and talked over texts a lot. Hope can tell that Josie is kind, it shows through her texts. They mostly talk about the homecoming date they have to plan, but sometimes their conversations goes out of their "professional" setting. Hope finds herself talking about art, and sharing a bit about her family. She learns a bit about Josie too, she learns that Josie has a twin sister and that they actually know each other. Hope understands why Josie's last name rang a bell since Lizzie Saltzman is the captain of the Salvatore volleyball team. The auburn haired girl learns about Josie's love for music and her distaste for bugs.

 

From : Josie Saltzman

_hey! are we still meeting at the mystic grill friday after school?_

 

Hope is sending a quick text to Josie to let her know she'll be there as she stands by her locker waiting for Penelope to join her, when she sees Landon walking over to her. She straightens up and puts her phone into her pocket. Hope gives Landon a small smile that he reciprocates.

 

"Hi." Landon says.

 

"Hey." Hope replies.

 

Hope quickly notices he's nervous. He doesn't look her in the eyes and he has his nervous smile on.

 

"Look, I just want to tell you something. I don't know if you've heard it already, but I really hope I'm the first to tell you. I'm seeing Dana."

 

It takes a moment for Hope to understand what he is saying. But when she does, she feels the anger building in her stomach. However, she doesn't let it show, instead she gives him her best fake smile.

 

"I'm happy for you!" She says.

 

Landon's eyes widen. "Really?"

 

"Yeah, you're moving on, just like me."

 

"I was hoping you would under- wait... You're seeing someone new?"

 

Hope nods. "Yeah. We started talking a couple of days ago."

 

Landon gives her a tight-lipped smile. "Good for you. Who's the lucky guy?"

 

"Guess you'll see at homecoming."

 

Before Landon has the chance to answer, Penelope walks and shoves Landon out of her way. When he stumbles, she looks back at him with a fake surprised expression.

 

"Sorry hobbit, I didn't see you there." She says before giving him a smirk.

 

He looks up and shakes his head. "Whatever. See you at homecoming Hope."

 

As soon as he's far enough, Penelope gives Hope a look.

 

"What the hell was that about?"

 

Hope scoffs. "Oh, you know, he just wanted to let me know he's dating Dana now."

 

"No way." Penelope says with big surprised eyes. "What did you tell him?"

 

Hope groans as she thinks of what she said. "I told him I'm seeing someone too and that he'll meet that person at homecoming."

 

"Well that's okay, right?" Penelope says with a shrug. "You'll have Josie there."

 

"Yeah, for homecoming, but I can't have Landon think that my new 'relationship' failed. If he never sees Josie after homecoming he'll start getting suspicious."

 

"Oh, because he won't think that it's just a date. He'll think you're actually dating Josie." Penelope says.

 

"Exactly." Hope puts her hands over her face. "I'm so stupid."

 

"No, you're not." Penelope protest. "It'll only cost you a little more. Ask Josie to be your fake girlfriend."

 

Hope shakes her head. "No way. It's embarrassing enough to pay her to go on a date with me, I won't pay her to be my fake girlfriend."

 

Penelope rolls her eyes. "Well you don't have that many choices. Either you ask Josie, or you find someone to date for real."

 

Hope groans. "I don't wanna date someone for real."

 

"Then ask Josie!" Penelope snaps.

 

"Fine!" Hope snaps back. "I'll ask her."

 

"Good!" Penelope says, then she smiles knowingly. "Tell me again, when are you meeting her?"

 

"Friday, and you're coming." Hope says as she starts walking to her next class.

 

"What? Why?" Penelope whines.

 

"Because 'Josie' might be a 50 year old serial killer."

 

Penelope snorts. "Come on, you don't really think that."

 

Hope glares at her best friend. "You're coming."

 

*****

 

From : Hope Mikaelson

_sure! :)) i'll be there_

 

"Are you nervous?" MG asks Josie.

 

"Nervous? About the fact that I'm meeting Hope Mikaelson to plan our fake date which will take place on homecoming night? No, no I'm not nervous."

 

MG gives her an unsure smile. "Are you... sure?"

 

"No MG!" Josie glares at her friend. "Of course I'm nervous."

 

He gives her a little smile. "It'll be fine. When are you meeting her?"

 

"Friday after school, we're meeting at the Mystic Grill." Josie says.

 

MG nods but he doesn't say anything. As he stays quiet, Josie feels her nervousness coming back. Suddenly, an idea pops in her head.

 

"You should tag along!" Josie says with a big smile.

 

"What? Absolutely not!" MG protests.

 

"You _have_ to. I'm so nervous I might have a nervous breakdown before I even get to the Mystic Grill. I can't blow this up, and after all it was your idea to set me up on a fake date to get money!"

 

"You agreed to it!"

 

"Yeah, and now I need your support to actually go through with it."

 

"Why aren't you forcing Lizzie to go too?"

 

Josie rolls her eyes. "She might actually kill Hope before the date happens, is that really what you want?"

 

MG thinks for a moment and nods. "Fine! I can't believe you're dragging me there."

 

Josie goes to hug MG and he returns her embrace. "Thanks MG."

 

"Hey losers, what's up?" Lizzie says as she walks up to them.

 

"Nothing!" Josie says, her voice higher than usual.

 

Lizzie rolls her eyes. "MG, why is my traitor of a sister lying?"

 

"She's meeting Hope on Friday to plan their fake date." MG blurts out quickly.

 

"MG!" Josie yells.

 

"You're actually going through with this." Lizzie says with wide eyes. "You're not meeting that girl alone. I'm going with you."

 

"It's fine you don't have to. MG is coming with me." Josie forces a smile.

 

"I'm not giving you a choice, traitor." Lizzie says as she narrows her eyes.

 

"Stop calling me that!" Josie says, annoyed. "I'm doing it for the trip."

 

"Oh I thought it was because, and I quote, 'MG, Hope's eyes are like an ocean I could drown myself into'."

 

Josie's mouth drops open and her eyes are wide. She looks at MG, her face showing the betrayal she feels.

 

"You told her that?"

 

"No!" MG protest.

 

"I was eavesdropping." Lizzie says with a shrug.

 

"Oh my god Lizzie, I can't believe you!" Josie takes her bag from her locker and glares at her sister before turning around and walking to her class. "Don't even think about coming with us on Friday!"

 

*****

 

"Do you think she's already here?" Hope nervously asks Penelope.

 

"Who knows?" Penelope looks at her best friend and sighs. "God, you look so nervous. Hope, you're not really gonna date this girl."

 

"I know that!"

 

"Then be chill!"

 

"I am chill." Hope protests.

 

"No, you're so far from chill."

 

The auburn haired girl glares at her friend. "Fuck you."

 

"You wish." Penelope says with a playful smile. "Now, lets get inside."

 

Penelope takes Hope's hand in hers and pulls her into the Mystic Grill. After a quick scan of the place, Hope can safely assure that Josie's not here yet. Somehow, it makes Hope relax a little. She lets Penelope drag her to a booth and they sit together.

 

"So, what do you want me to do when she'll get here? Am I supposed to stay here or..."

 

"No. When she gets here, you can go."

 

Penelope frowns. "I drove you here."

 

Hope frowns too, and then she nods. "Right. You stay then, but you don't sit at the same table, you know?"

 

"Wanna be alone with her, uh?" Penelope teases Hope.

 

"Stop it." Hope says after she rolls her eyes.

 

Penelope is about to talk when Hope's eyes grow a little wider and she gets that nervous look on her face again. Penelope looks to where Hope's eyes landed and she immediately gets it. Josie is there, flanked by a boy and Lizzie Saltzman. Penelope winces as she watches them move closer.

 

"I can't believe Lizzie actually came." Penelope whispers.

 

Hope glares at her. "Be nice!" She whispers-yells.

 

As soon as Josie gets to their table, Hope gets up and gives her a smile. The older girl has to admit that Josie looks even better in real life than she did on the pictures. Her hair was cascading freely on her shoulders. Josie was wearing jeans, a cute little jacket and a band shirt that Hope didn't recognize.

 

"Hi." Josie says with a smile. "Sorry, I know I'm late but I really wanted to get out of my uniform before meeting you."

 

Hope smiles back. "It's fine. I'm happy to finally meet you."

 

From the corner of her eyes, Hope can see the glare Lizzie sends her way and it makes her feel uneasy. Hope's eyes leave Josie for a moment and she forces herself to smile at Lizzie.

 

"Hey Lizzie."

 

"Satan." Lizzie says with a nod.

 

Hope rolls her eyes at Lizzie's childish behavior. She should have known this wouldn't go well. What she didn't expect though, was Josie actually standing up for her.

 

"Lizzie, enough! You promised, remember?"

 

Before anyone can say something else, Penelope claps her hands once.

 

"Now that we know Josie is not a 50 year old serial killer, I'll just go wait for Hope at a table far from this one. You two are welcome to join me."

 

MG looks unsure as he sees Penelope walks away and Lizzie following her.

 

"Jo, are you like sure?" He asks nervously. "You don't have to do this. It was just an idea, we can find something else."

 

For a moment, Hope thinks that Josie is gonna chicken out. The younger girl looks unsure, and nervous, but when her eyes land on Hope again she seems to make up her mind.

 

"It's fine MG, you can go with Lizzie."

 

With a nod he goes in the direction where the two girls disapeared earlier, but not without looking back at Josie.

 

"He seems like a good friend." Hope says when he's far enough.

 

"He's been my best friend since we were three." Josie says with fond smile.

 

They look at each other and Hope feels the nervousness come back again. So she decides to smile, which brings Josie to smile back at her.

 

"Do you want to sit down?" Hope suggest.

 

"Uh, yeah." Josie says.

 

Josie sits on one side of the table, and Hope settles in front of her. As she sits down, Josie takes her jacket off. Then she pushes some hair out of her face and behind her ear.

 

"So..." Josie starts.

 

"Yeah." Hope nods. "This is more awkward than I thought it would be."

 

Josie gives her a soft understanding smile. "You don't have to be nervous, you know?"

 

Hope avoids Josie's eyes. "This is just so embarrassing."

 

"Why?" Josie says with a frown.

 

"I'm paying you to be my date to homecoming, remember? This is definitely embarrassing."

 

After a little pause, Josie nods. "I guess you're right. Can I ask you something?"

 

"Yeah, ask whatever you want."

 

"Why do you need me to be your date? Lizzie says you're dating a boy."

 

Hope feels her heart sink as soon as she hears Josie's words. She clenches her jaw and tries to swallow her pride before answering.

 

"You know what?" Josie says. "Forget I asked, okay? It's none of my business, let's just plan the date."

 

"Landon broke up with me." Hope says instead. "He dumped me in the parking lot of the school, in front of everybody."

 

Josie's eyes fill with understanding and sadness. She nods and Hope sees that the younger girl would accept to hear half of the story, but Hope decides to give the entire one.

 

"On top of that, he told me this week that he's dating another girl now. I feel so humiliated." Hope swallows hard. "I just need to show him, and everyone that I'm moving on too. Even if it's fake."

 

Josie nods again, and Hope quickly sees that she's deep in her thoughts. She wonders why the younger girl is thinking this hard about what she just said.

 

"Is a date gonna be enough though?" Josie wonders out loud. "I mean, I'm happy to go to homecoming with you, but is it gonna be believable?" She stays silent for a couple of seconds. "Maybe you should find someone to date for real."

 

Hope shakes her head. "I don't want to date someone for real. I'm not ready for that." Hope gives Josie a sheepish smiles. "But, I actually thought of what you're thinking now, and you're right. A date is not gonna be enough."

 

For a moment, Hope thinks that Josie looks disapointed, but the look quickly leaves place to an understanding smile.

 

"So we're not doing this then." Josie says.

 

"No! We are. I just... How do I do this? Be my fake girlfriend instead of my fake date? Please." Josie says nothing, she just looks at Hope with big surprised eyes. It's enough to send Hope spiraling down. "I'm sorry, this is not a good idea. Actually it's a very bad idea. Look, forget we ever met. Please?"

 

When Josie still says nothing, Hope quickly gets up to leave. She wants to get out of the Mystic Grill as soon as possible, because somehow, this was way more embarrassing than being dumped in the middle of a parking lot.

 

"Hope, wait!" Josie says, also getting up. "I'm sorry, I just really didn't expect you to ask me to be your fake girlfriend." She gives Hope a smile. "There's plenty of things to discuss though, because a fake relationship implies a lot of things that were off limits on my profil."

 

Hope nods, remembering Josie's limits. No kissing, no intimate touches. At first, Hope had been fine with that. Kissing or touching a stranger would have been weird anyway. But if they are faking a relationship, these things are bound to happen if they want to sell it.

 

"Yeah, seems like we have a lot to talk about." Hope agrees.

 

Josie nods. "This is so gonna piss Lizzie off."

 

Hope winces. "Would she be a problem?"

 

Josie shrugs. "She'll deal with it." She smiles at Hope. "So, what's our story?"

 

The question catches Hope off guard. She knew that's exactly why they were meeting, but it was still weird to talk about that kind of thing. Josie hums and taps her chin in a thoughtful manner.

 

"Let's see. How about... we met at one of your volleyball games and we're friends ever since. But with time, we caught feelings for each other. How does that sounds?"

 

"Sounds good." Hope says. "So, is Homecoming our first date?"

 

"Yeah, this way it will only be normal for us to be nervous and awkward, you know? We won't have too much pressure."

 

"Right."

 

They spend the next thirty minutes planning the night of Homecoming. They plan how they will dress up, who will pick up who, what they'll do when they'll arrive at school, what to do if Landon comes to talk... and the list goes on. As the time goes on, both girls feel more at ease. When MG, Penelope and Lizzie come to see if they're alright, they find Josie and Hope laughing together. Lizzie quickly hits MG on the shoulder.

 

"They're flirting!"

 

"I don't think..." MG starts.

 

Penelope rolls her eyes. "Hope is straight. You don't have to worry."

 

"Look at them!" Lizzie says. "Don't tell me they're not flirting."

 

Penelope shrugs, but she still looks at her friend and Josie. She had to admit that Hope was smiling _a lot_. She also looked happier than she had been ever since the break up. Her smile was actually reaching her eyes. But Hope isn't into girls, she said that plenty of times. At the same time, Josie did catch Hope's eyes when they went through the app. Suddenly, Penelope shakes her head. She isn't about to start questionning her best friend's sexuality. It's up to Hope to figure it out.

 

"Leave it Lizzie." Penelope says. "We'll all have to tolerate each other for a while, so try not to be so irritating."

 

"What do you mean for a while? They're only going on one fake date."

 

Penelope smirks. "Or so you think."

 

Lizzie clenches her jaw and makes her way to the table where Josie and Hope are sitting. As soon as she gets there, Hope and Josie stop talking.

 

"Lizzie, what are you doing here?"

 

"Why is Penelope saying that we'll all see each other for a while?"

 

Josie fakes a little laugh and gives her sister a wide smile.

 

"I'm gonna be Hope's fake girlfriend for a while actually."

 

"What?!" Lizzie screams.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think of this one!


	3. is that a winnie the pooh quote?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!
> 
> So, I decided to add some things into the story, so this chapter is not the Homecoming dance.
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy this!

Hope is the last one in the locker room, she changes quickly, well aware that she's almost late to her volleyball practice. She tightens her ponytail and is about to head into the gym when the door of the locker room suddenly opens. Hope almost groans when she sees Dana walking in her direction with a fake innocent smile on her face.

 

"Hi Hope, do you have a second?" Dana says sweetly.

 

"Actually, no I don't, and neither do you. Practice is about to begin." Hope says as she tries to move past Dana.

 

The blonde girl gently grabs her foreharm. "It'll only be a second. I just want to make sure you're okay with Landon and I dating."

 

Hope uses her hand to push Dana's hand away from her arm. "It's perfectly fine."

 

"You're so sweet!" Dana says with a smile.

 

Hope walks out of the locker room and rolls her eyes. What a fake girl. She knows Dana is following her, and it takes everything within herself not to trip her as she runs to her friends.

 

"Since our captain thinks it's okay to be late, we'll all stay to run 10 laps after practice." The coach calls.

 

Every girl in the room groans and starts to protest. Some of them even glare at Hope, and she glares at them right back. As the practice starts and Hope and Dana happen to be on the same team, an idea form its way into Hope's brain. The auburn haired girl is the first one to hit the ball, and she happens to 'accidently' hit Dana in the back of the head with the ball. The blonde girl turns around ready to shout, but when Hope gives her an apologetic smile and apologizes, Dana fakes a smile and turns around. It happens once or twice after that. Hope's having a bad day, that's what she tells the coach when she asks about the 'accidents'.

 

When they run their laps after practice, Hope makes sure to be the first one to finish. She exhaust herself, but it's worth it, since she's very late to meet up with Josie.

 

*****

 

It takes Hope a good five minutes before she gathers the courage to knock on the door of Josie's house. They had agreed the day before to meet one last time before the Homecoming dance, just to be sure everything would go smoothly. But the idea of actually being in Josie's house is turning Hope into a nervous mess. They met once, texted a billion times and talked on the phone a handful of times. This shouldn't be so hard, but it somehow is.

 

When a blonde woman opens the door and smiles widely at her, Hope feels her nervousness lessen a little (just a little).

 

"Hi! You must be Hope, right?" The woman asks.

 

"Hello Mrs. Saltzman, uh yeah it's me." Hope says as she tries to smile back.

 

"Oh, it's Forbes actually, but please call me Caroline." Josie's mother says, then she opens the door a little wider. "Come on in, Josie's in her room. You can go up, she's waiting for you."

 

"Oh, okay, thank you."

 

Hope comes into the house and the first thing that comes to her mind is that it feels really homey. The house is nothing like Hope's, for starters it's a lot smaller, but also a lot more warm and welcoming. There's pictures on every wall. Family pictures, Lizzie's volleyball pictures, Josie playing the guitar, the whole family fishing and even some wedding pictures. It makes Hope feel a little sad as she thinks to her own house. There were no family pictures in her house, she made sure of that. Seeing the faces of her parents everyday would be a real torture. Hope shakes her head and quickly makes her way upstairs. It takes her half of a second to spot the twin's room. There's a room on the left side of the hallway, a bathroom on the right and another room at the end of the hallway. On the door of that last room, written in bright pink letters are Josie's and Lizzie's names. Somehow, Hope is sure it's Lizzie's doing. She walks to the half open door and knocks on it.

 

"Come in!" Josie calls out.

 

Hope takes her time to breathe deeply before putting her best smile on and walking through the door. She finds Josie sitting on her bed, surrounded by books and her laptop. Her hair is pulled up in a loose ponytail, and she's wearing another band shirt.

 

"Hey, I was wondering if you were still coming." Josie says with a smile.

 

"Sorry, I should have texted you. I got held up at volleyball practice. It isn't usually that long. Sorry again."

 

Josie chuckles. "Don't worry, it's fine. I was just wondering that's all."

 

"Still, I'm sorry."

 

Josie smiles at Hope before getting up. Hope watches as Josie gathers her books and put them on her desk. Then, she goes back to sit on the bed and looks at Hope again.

 

"You can sit on the bed with me, you know?" Josie says with a smile, and it looks a lot like she's teasing Hope. "Or you can take the desk chair."

 

Hope looks between the bed and the desk chair, debating with herself on which to choose. Why was she so nervous about where she would sit? She had to get more comfortable with Josie or this whole thing could go wrong.

 

"I, uh, yeah right." Hope says.

 

She moves closer to the bed and sits on it. She sits at a good distance from Josie. Not too far, but definitely not too close. Hope puts her bagpack on the floor and then she focus her attention on Josie. The younger girl's eyes are already on her, watching Hope with kindness.

 

"Are you okay Hope? Because, it looks like this whole thing is making you really nervous, and honestly I hate to make you feel that way."

 

Hope maintains eye contact. She gulps, but she keeps her head held high.

 

"I'm just... not good at this. Letting people into my life, I mean. Penelope is like my only friend, and then there was Landon. And you know how that ended. Now, I have to let you in, and all of it is gonna be fake. I don't know how to deal with that."

 

Josie looks at Hope through her whole speech, and her eyes stay kind and understanding. When Hope is done, Josie nods and looks at her hands as she plays with her own fingers. She's thinking about something, and Hope wonders what it is.

 

"Well, maybe it doesn't have to be all fake, you know?" Josie suggests.

 

Hope frowns, a bit confused. "What do you mean?"

 

"Well, I'm a pretty good friend, just ask MG." Josie says with a smile and a shrug. "If you're afraid about opening up to me because you think I'm gonna disappear after this whole fake dating thing, then I won't disappear. Let's just agree to be friends."

 

At that Hope does look down. Josie was actually suggesting to be her friend, like for real. Somehow, it made her feel all happy inside. She couldn't really say why though.

 

"That does sound good actually." Hope says.

 

"Let's get to know each other then." Josie says with a smile.

 

"Now? I thought we were gonna talk about Homecoming."

 

Josie shrugs. "Well, knowing some things about each other is definitely gonna help at Homecoming. Like if you don't like to dance, I won't ask you to dance often. And if Landon asks questions, we'll know what to say."

 

Hope bites her lip in thought. "You must be right. I like dancing, but I'm not that good at it."

 

It makes Josie smile and nod. "Okay, so we're gonna dance and I'm gonna show you how to. It's gonna be cute and will probably catch some attention."

 

Hope nods. "What kind of music do you listen to?" Hope asks before she can think about it. The band shirts made her so curious.

 

Josie's entire face lights up. "I'm a big fan of folk music! But I also like rap and indie music."

 

Hope smiles at Josie's excitement. The younger girl's answer actually makes a lot of sense, since Hope mainly listens to pop music or whatever Penelope's into, she wouldn't know the bands on Josie's shirts.

 

"What's the band on your shirt?"

 

"That's 'Of Monsters and Man', they're like so good! Last year, I dragged Lizzie and MG to go see them with me, it was one of the best nights of my life."

 

"That's good." Hope says with a smile.

 

"What about you? Do you like music?"

 

"I'm not that into music to be honest. I like pop music but just like everybody likes it." Hope hesitates before adding her next words. "I... I listen to jazz when I'm painting. It was my father's favorite music."

 

It snatches Josie attention, and Hope can instantly see that Josie caught her. She forces herself to maintain eye contact with the younger girl, waiting for the inevitable question.

 

"Is- is there anything else you want to tell me? Because you don't have to, if you don't want to. No pressure."

 

The auburn haired girl is surprised by Josie's reaction. It's pretty clear that the brunette wants to hear more, but she won't ask for it. Josie wants Hope to tell her on her own terms. It makes Hope so grateful that she finds herself explaining.

 

"Two years ago, my father and my mother went on a little road trip for a week, they were celebrating their marriage anniversary. They were finally coming back home, but... it was raining so bad, and a driver drove right into them. They died instantly. They had no chance."

 

Hope feels her heart sink, just like it does everytime she talks about her parents. She's waiting for the 'i'm sorry' and the 'poor you' and all those things people usually tell her when they learn about her parent's death. But none of that comes. Instead, Hope feels Josie's hand gently takes her own. Josie entangles their fingers and lightly squeezes Hope's fingers. They stay like that for a while, just holding hands. The only thing that actually breaks them from that moment is a light knock on the door.

 

"Uh, yeah?" Josie calls out quietly.

 

Caroline's head comes into view. "Sorry to bother you sweetie, but is Hope staying for dinner?"

 

Josie looks at Hope. "Wanna stay? We didn't really talk that much."

 

Caroline comes into the room and looks at the two teenagers. She quickly sees their connected hands, and a soft smile makes its way on her face. Hope's about to answer Josie's question when she sees the look on Caroline's face and immediately flushes red. She feels the embarrassment quite vividly as Josie's mother thinks that they had been doing something other than talking. It takes Josie a little more time to catch what's going on and why Hope isn't answering. But when she does, her blush matches Hope's.

 

"I didn't mean that... I mean, Hope and I- "

 

"It's fine Josie, Lizzie already told me you were seeing someone new." Caroline says with a smile. "Though, I would have appreciated you telling me that Hope was your new girlfriend. You know the rules sweetie, the door has to stay open."

 

Josie is mortified when she hears her mother's words. "Mom! Hope is-"

 

Hope cuts her off. "Sorry Caroline, I didn't mean to cause any problem. We'll be sure to follow the rules next time, right Jo?"

 

Josie looks confused for a moment. "Right..."

 

Caroline smiles brightly. "Good! Now, Hope are you staying for dinner?"

 

"I'd love to, thank you." Hope says with a smile.

 

Caroline smiles back and nods. She turns around, just to turn again.

 

"I trust the both of you to follow the rules, Josie knows what they are. I'll call when dinner's ready."

 

Josie waits until she can't hear her mother's footsteps anymore before turning to Hope with a confused look.

 

"Why did you let my mother think we're actually dating?"

 

Hope shrugs. "If we can pull this off with your parents, it'll be easy to pull it off with Landon."

 

Josie looks at Hope for a moment before she slowly nods. "I guess you're right."

 

Hope smiles and decides to change the subject. "So, Landon is dating a girl from my team, her name is Dana."

 

"Dana?" Josie asks with her eyes wide. "She's like the only girl Lizzie hates more than she hates you."

 

"Thats... good to know. Anyway, I 'accidently' hit her with the ball today... three times." Hope does the quote thing with her finger when she says the word accidently, and gives Josie a sheepish smile when ends her sentence.

 

Josie starts laughing as soon as Hope is done talking. Hope watches the younger girl laugh with a fond smile, Josie had a beautiful laugh. She chuckles a little too and shakes her head. When they're done laughing, Hope notices that Josie is all caught up in her own head suddenly, so she waits until the brunette is ready to make her thoughts known.

 

"What are you trying to do with this whole fake dating thing? Just prove that you're over your relationship. Or is it to have Landon back?"

 

The question kinda hits Hope. She hadn't thought about Josie questionning her motives. Honestly, she wasn't even sure what her motives were. Would she really take Landon back? She wasn't sure.

 

"I- I don't know."

 

"Oh, okay then." Josie says and smiles.

 

Hope can't help but think that Josie's smile doesn't seeem as genuine as it had been earlier. She quickly convinces herself that she imagines things, because why would Josie act that way?

 

"So, I heard you're really good at volleyball." Josie says, changing the subject again.

 

Hope shrugs, trying to seem nonchalant. "I'm okay."

 

Josie raises a brow and smirks. "Oh, really? Because everytime Lizzie has a game against you, she comes back whining about how you kicked her ass."

 

"Lizzie's team sucks, but she's good. She'd be a really good player if she had a good team."

 

Josie smiles softly. "That's what she always say. Maybe you two could actually get along."

 

Hope lets out a little laugh. "If she stops hating me for a second."

 

Josie gives a little nudge to Hope with her elbow. "I'll talk to her."

 

"Girls!" Comes Caroline's voice. "Dinner is ready."

 

*****

 

They actually pull it off during dinner. Lizzie isn't home for dinner, so it's just Alaric, Caroline, Josie and Hope. Caroline is welcoming and asks Hope so many questions, that Hope has barely the time to answer them. Alaric barely looks at her, and when he does it's with an awkward smile. When dinner's over, Hope insists to clean off the table, and Josie helps her. When the table is clean, Caroline tells them to go enjoy the little time they have left together. Since it's a school night, Hope can't stay over past 8, it's part of the Saltzman household rules. When they get into the twin's room, it's 7:12 and Josie lays onto her bed, her back resting against her bed frame.

 

"I wanna know more about you." The younger girl says.

 

Hope is still standing in the middle of the room, unsure as to where she's supposed to sit.

 

"Uh, yeah, sure."

 

She stands there in the middle of the room for a moment, hugging herself with one arm. Josie stares at her, and for some reason it makes Hope blush.

 

"Hope, come sit next to me, please?" Josie softly asks.

 

It's all it takes for Hope to sit down on the bed next to Josie. The bed is not that big, so when she sits, Hope right side is pressed into Josie's left side.

 

"How do you feel about cuddles?" Josie suddenly asks.

 

"Uh, what?" Hope says.

 

"Cuddles, do you like them?"

 

"Uh, yeah." Hope manages to answer. "I used to cuddle with Landon, and Penelope and I do it all the time. Don't tell her I said that, she'd kill the both of us."

 

Josie smiles. "Okay, good. Let's cuddle then."

 

"Yo-you want u-us to cuddle?" Hope stutters.

 

"Yeah! We'll be more comfortable with PDA after this."

 

Hope swallows her awkwardness and nods. "Let's do this." Josie starts to move, but Hope stops her. "Wait, there's no rule about cuddling?" She teases.

 

Josie rolls her eyes. "No, Hope, there's no rules about cuddling. There's a few about sex though."

 

Hope feels like she was beaten at her own game. Josie pokes her side and laughs.

 

"I'm teasing you, relax."

 

Josie sinks in the mattress, and tugs Hope with her. They're both laying on their sides, facing each other. They're so close that Hope notices little things about Josie she never noticed before. The little scar in her eyebrow, her cute little nose and finally the adorable little gap between her front teeth.

 

"Turn around." Josie quietly demands.

 

Hope does as she's told, and soon enough she feels a hand being drapped around her waist. Josie pulls her close, their bodies flush against each other.

 

"Is this okay?" Josie asks.

 

"Y-yeah."

 

Then, Josie buries her head in the back of Hope's neck. They stay like that for a while, only enjoying the proximity. Hope feels oddly safe and comfortable in Josie's arms. She hasn't felt like that in a long time. Josie lets herself sink into Hope, just taking in every little reaction she gets out of the older girl. It takes a moment for her to speak, and when she does, Josie can tell that she startles Hope.

 

"Are you a people person?" Josie asks.

 

"Not really. I'm okay with having people around, but I love being alone or with the right people. Does that make sense?"

 

"Totally."

 

"Okay." Hope waits, then she decides to ask a question too. "Do you have a favorite book?"

 

"Sure, it's called 'The upside of unrequited' and it's very cute."

 

"Is it a romance book?"

 

"Yeah."

 

Hope smiles. "Of course it is."

 

Josie chuckles. "Am I that predictable?"

 

"Not at all." Hope replies honestly.

 

"Okay. My turn, do you have a favorite quote?"

 

" 'We accept the love we think we deserve', it's from-"

 

Josie cuts her off. " 'The perks of being a wallflower', yeah, I know. It's one of my favorite quotes too."

 

"What's your favorite?"

 

" 'Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart'" Josie quotes.

 

"Is that..." Hope laughs lightly. "Is that a Winnie the Pooh quote?"

 

"Yeah."

 


	4. now, let the royal dance begin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Sorry I went missing for a while. Life is kicking my ass (again). 
> 
> I really hope you'll enjoy this one!

Hope watches as Penelope puts the final touch to her hair. She's been wanting to tell some things to her best friends. Things about Landon, about Dana and more importantly about Josie. She's been pushing it off though, Penelope would ask questions and Hope would tell her 'later' or 'nothing happened'. Penelope knew something was wrong with her friend, and that she was definitely hiding something, but she didn't push. Hope was a private person, it wouldn't do any good to push her to talk.

 

"I'm ready! Let's get our dates." Penelope says with a smile.

 

She goes to leave the room, but Hope abruptly stands up.

 

"Wait!" Penelope stops and look at her questionningly. "I... I need to tell you something."

 

Penelope rolls her eyes. "Finally! Come on, spill."

 

Hope nods. "Okay, so you know that Landon's been acting really weird since the break up, right?" Penelope nods. "Well, Dana came to talk to me last week before practice. She wanted to 'make sure I am okay with Landon and her dating'. I mean what a freaking bitch, right? Anyway, that same day I saw Josie again and-"

 

"Wait, you saw Josie again?" Penelope asks with her eyes wide.

 

"Yes!" Hope says impatiently. "She invited me over to her house so we could go over some things before tonight. So I went and-"

 

"You went to her house? Was Lizzie there?"

 

"Stop interrupting me!" Hope says with a glare. "Lizzie was out. We were talking in her room and then her mother walked in. She totally thought we were dating. So we acted like we were actually dating in front of her parents and it worked."

 

Penelope takes the opportunity to talk when Hope makes a little pause. "Okay. Where is this going?"

 

Hope rolls her eyes. "You're so impatient!" She crosses her arms and looks at the ceiling, avoiding Penelope's eyes. "We cuddled on her bed."

 

Penelope doesn't say a word for the longest moment. It makes Hope nervous and she quickly glances at her friend. The short haired girl's face is neutral, but then she starts laughing. It quickly gets Hope mad, and she walks to Penelope and smack her on the arm.

 

"Stop it asshole!" Hope hisses.

 

"You..." Penelope tries to catch her breath. "You're having gay panic because your fake girlfriend cuddled you?"

 

Hope feels the blush covering her cheeks. "I knew I should have kept my mouth shut."

 

Hope rolls her eyes and walks out of her room, but Penelope is quick to follow her.

 

"Hope! Come on, I was just... you know."

 

"Laughing at me?" Hope says as she turns around.

 

Penelope shrugs. "Well, yeah. That's what I do, and that's why you keep me around." Penelope gets a little more serious. "But, hey, if you need me to be serious, you know I can be."

 

Hope rolls her eyes again. "Like hell you can!"

 

Penelope smirks as she watches Hope walk away. She shakes her head softly, she was glad her best friend was acting a little more like herself. Maybe she should thank Josie Saltzman for that. The short haired girl starts to walk again.

 

As soon as she's close enough to Hope, Penelope starts to sing. "Hope and Josie sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N- OW!"

 

The slap she receives from Hope is brutal and unexpected, but well deserved. So Penelope says nothing, but she pouts all the way to Josie's house.

 

*****

 

Josie's putting the final touch to Lizzie's hair, when her twin decides to speak.

 

"I still can't believe you're doing this."

 

Josie sighs. "Not again."

 

"Hope is so..."

 

"You don't know her."

 

Lizzie turns around and gives her sister a weird look. "And you do? Because you spent a couple of hours together? Because you cuddled on your bed?"

 

Josie doesn't say a thing. The truth is she doesn't know a lot about Hope, but she still feels the need to defend her. Hope had been nothing but nice to her. And that moment they shared as they cuddled on Josie's bed had been... pleasant.

 

"Josie! Your girlfriend is here to pick you up." Caroline calls out for the brunette twin.

 

Josie quickly checks herself in the mirror. She isn't ready, she had spent way too much time helping Lizzie get ready, again... Before she has time to voice her panic, there's a light knock on the door. Lizzie goes to open the door, and MG comes into the room.

 

"Well, my date is here too apparently!" Lizzie says. "Come on MG."

 

MG barely has the time to wave at Josie before he's being dragged out of the room. Josie goes in full panic mode then. She quickly tries to get ready, and she's nearly getting there when there's another knock on the door. Josie just slipped into her dress, but she didn't have the time to zip it closed.

 

"Josie? Are you okay?" Hope's soft voice comes through the closed door.

 

"Uh, yeah! I'll be out soon."

 

"Do you need help? I mean... can I come in?"

 

Josie hesitates for a second, but she knows they're already late, so she agrees to let Hope come in. When Hope comes in, she has a small shy smile on.

 

"I'm sorry, I'm not ready yet. Lizzie wanted some help and I..."

 

Hope smiles wider. "It's fine. Do you need me to help?"

 

"I just... Can you zip my dress?" Josie asks looking anywhere but at Hope.

 

Hope is taken a back by Josie's question, but she quickly moves forward to help her. Josie turns around and shows her back to Hope. It takes the older girl a couple of seconds to actually do something, but when she does Josie feels shivers where her fingers brush her back. Hope is careful not to touch her much, and Josie appreciate it.

 

"There, all done." Hope says quietly.

 

Josie turns around and gives the shorter girl a shy smile. "Thanks."

 

"A-are you done?" Hope says with a smile.

 

"Almost! I just have to do something with my hair..."

 

"Your hair is beautiful." Hope says immediately. "I mean... I love it that way. It's natural and it suits you perfectly."

 

Hope's words take Josie by surprise. A blush is quickly covering her cheeks and she looks down to hide it. Her shy smile is still there, and she desperatly tries to hide the effect Hope has on her.

 

"Thank you Hope, that's... that's nice to hear."

 

"Uh, y-yeah." Hope smiles awkwardly. "Let's go then? Penelope and her date are waiting for us in the car."

 

Josie's eyes go wide. "Oh no! I made you all wait for so long."

 

"It's okay Josie, don't worry."

 

Hope holds out her hand for Josie, and with little to no hesitation, Josie takes it. They walk down the stairs holding hands, and Caroline and Alaric are waiting for them at the bottom. The blonde woman has her phone in hands, ready to take a picture.

 

"Do you mind?" Josie quietly asks Hope.

 

Hope smiles. "Of course not."

 

They let Caroline take a couple pictures before finally stepping out of the house, it was time to start the act for real.

 

*****

 

As soon as they walk through the doors, Hope can feel everyone's eyes on them. They whisper to each other and steal glances at them. Hope feels like she's gonna be sick for a second, but then Josie squeezes her hand and tugs on it.

 

"Everything's okay, Hope." The brunette whispers close to Hope's ear.

 

It makes Hope feel a little better. She lets Josie guide them to a table in the far right of the room. Penelope and her date, Amanda, are sitting on one side of the table while Josie and Hope sits on the other side. It doesn't take Hope long to spot Landon. He's sitting at a table with Dana, Rafael and another girl that must be Rafael's date. Josie follows Hope's gaze, and she quickly understands. The younger girl leans close to Hope's ear.

 

"Which one is your ex?"

 

Hope jumps in surprise. "Uh... the one with the curly black hair."

 

"He's cute." Josie simply says before leaning back on her chair.

 

Hope looks at her and she immediately feels bad. She's here with Josie and they're supposed to be dating, she's certainly not supposed to stare at her ex.

 

"Want something to drink?" Hope asks Josie with a smile.

 

"Sure." Josie says with a shrug. "Do you want me to come with you?"

 

"Yeah." Hope stands up and offers her hand to Josie. "Come on."

 

Josie lets Hope guide them to the drink table. They get their drink and are about to head back to their table when they're stopped by some girls on Hope's volleyball team. Hope awkwardly introduces Josie, but she's pleasantly surprised by her team mates kindness. They all greet Josie and do their best to include her in the conversations. That's how the evening goes, they talk, dance and actually have a lot of fun. Josie is pleased to see Hope loosen up during the night. She holds Josie's hand with a lot more carelessness and their interactions are more comfortable than they were at the start of the night.

 

Sometime near the end of the night, the principal of Hope's school goes to the stage and calls out for everyone's attention.

 

"It's time to announce your Homecoming queen and king!" The man says with a wide smile. "Your Homecoming king is... Landon Kirby!"

 

Everyone around them cheers, yells and looks very excited. Josie only pays attention to Hope though, and she's quick to see the nervousness Hope is trying to cover up with a smile. Josie watches Hope as the older girl watches her ex get his crown on the stage.

 

"Hope, are yo-"

 

Before Josie has time to finish her sentence, the principal talks again. "And your Homecoming queen is... Hope Mikaelson!"

 

Hope's body tenses. For a moment she doesn't move. She knows people are cheering. She knows Dana is glaring at her. Just like she knows Josie is worried. Then it all clicks. Hope smiles brightly. She turns to Josie and kisses her on the cheek before making her way to the stage. There, she stands on one side of the principal while Landon is on the other side. She lets the principal put the crown on her head and still smiles widely at the crowd.

 

"A round of applause for your Homecoming queen and king!" The crowd goes wild for a while. "Now, let the royal dance begin." The man says when the crowd gets quiet.

 

Josie watches the tension fill Hope up. She feels so helpless. She was supposed to help Hope tonight, but here she was unable to do a thing. Hope and Landon walk to the center of the dance floor, and when the song starts, Landon pulls Hope closer. They stay silent for a moment, and Hope tries her best not to look at him. She looks in the crowd, desperately trying to see Josie.

 

"Looking for your girlfriend?" Landon asks, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

 

Hope raises an eyebrow and looks at him. "Yes, I was."

 

Landon rolls his eyes. "Right. I don't know what game you're playing Hope. I mean, you're not even gay! I'm sure you're not even dating that girl."

 

"Her name is Josie, and we _are_ dating." Hope says through her teeth. "How dare you assume anything about my sexuality. You don't even know a thing about me."

 

Landon is surprised for a second, but then he lets out a humourless chuckle. "And that's exactly why I broke up with you. You don't let anyone in. I wonder how long it'll take your 'girlfriend' to realise that and walk away."

 

After that, Hope pushes him away. She feels the eyes on her, she hears the whispers around too. She's not sure what's going to happen next. She wants to yell, she wants to cry, she wants to run away. But what she does is stand there, she watches as Landon stands tall in the middle of the dance floor. She watches as he walks away, and into the arms of Dana who greets him with a deep kiss. The only thing that makes her snap out of it, is when Josie slips her hand into hers.

 

"Come on Hope, let's get out of here." Josie softly says.

 

Josie guides Hope out of the room, Penelope and Amanda following them closely. When they get to Hope's car, Josie quietly asks Penelope and Amanda to get inside. As soon as they're alone, Josie pushes Hope's hair from her face. It's enough to finally get Hope's attention.

 

"Talk to me, please?" Josie asks.

 

Hope shakes her head, and when she does the light hits her eyes. It's all it takes for Josie to notice the unshed tears in the older girl's eyes.

 

"Hope... What did he say?"

 

"I-It doesn't matter." Hope says as she angrily wipes away the tears from her eyes. "He saw right through our little act."

 

"That's not why you're upset." Josie states.

 

Hope rolls her eyes. "Why does it matter to you? It's none of your business!"

 

Josie lets out a sardonic laughter and crosses her arms. "Oh right, I have no right to care. I'm just the fake girlfriend after all. Sorry I forgot for a second." Josie starts to walk to the passengers door. "Just drive me home."

 

Hope quickly realises how dumb she was acting. She jogs to Josie's side and puts her hand on the door to close it, stopping Josie from getting into the car. Josie is angry, it's clear to see. Hope curses the fact that she's so bad at communicating. She curses the fact that Landon is right, too. She sucks at letting people in, but she has to try.

 

"I'm sorry." Hope quickly blurts out. "I didn't mean to hurt you." Josie gives her an unimpressed look. "You're not just my fake girlfriend. You're my friend too. You have every right to ask, and to care. I just suck at talking about me or my feelings. It has nothing to do with you. Just ask Penelope."

 

"You can't keep people at arms length and expect them to stay around." Josie says, but her voice is a lot softer than before, and it gives hope to the auburn haired girl.

 

"I'll do my best to open up." Hope says. "Please, don't stay mad at me."

 

Josie fights the smile that threatens to break onto her face, but she soon looses the fight.

 

"I'm not good at staying mad for long."

 

Hope smiles back at her. "Lucky me then."

 

They look at each other for a couple of seconds before Josie's eyes leave Hope's face. They land on Landon and Dana getting out of the gym. His arms is around her shoulder, and they're talking. It takes about a second for him to land his eyes on them. Josie quickly looks away and back to Hope's beautiful face.

 

"What did you see?" Hope says.

 

She's about to look behind her when Josie speaks up. "Don't look behind you." Hope stops her movement. "Landon and Dana just got out." Hope tenses up. "Relax, or you'll look suspicious." Hope does as she's told. "Okay." Josie takes a deep breath. "Now, kiss me."

 

Hope's eyes go wide. "What?"

 

"Do it! Make sure to be soft, and go slow."

 

Hope only hesitates for a second before she leans in. It's a little awkward for her to initiate a kiss since Josie is taller than her, but Josie helps her by leaning down a bit. When their lips touch, Hope feels butterflies erupt into her stomach. She tells herself it's normal, a kiss is supposed to do that kind of thing to you. She quickly tries to focus on other things, like where to put her hands. Hope tries to respect Josie as much as she can. Since she's already stepping onto Josie's limits, she tries to keep her hands off of Josie when their lips touch. She knows it must look weird, but she's not about to make Josie uncomfortable. Josie seems to catch on, because she softly takes Hope's hands into hers. The younger girl laces their fingers together, and the older girl sincerely hopes her hands are not too clammy.

 

"They're gone." Josie says quietly after they broke apart.

 

"They... they are?" Hope asks, a little dazzed.

 

"Yeah." Josie's blush mirrors Hope. "Are you okay?"

 

"Yes. I just... I wasn't expecting... that."

 

Josie lets go of Hope's hands, and Hope immediately misses the contact.

 

"I know, I'm sorry. It's just.. he wasn't buying our story. He saw us when he got out, but I don't think that he saw that I saw him. So that kiss must have been a good proof. You know?"

 

Hope nods and opens her mouth to answer, but Penelope pokes her head out of the car window and interrupts her.

 

"Should we put an Ed Sheeran song at your wedding? I'm thinking about something like 'Perfect' or even 'Thinking Out Loud'." She grins at them before getting back into the car.

 

Josie giggles and looks away, suddenly remembering they had an audience. Hope groans and rolls her eyes, she should've known her best friend would be a real pain in the ass.

 

"Sorry about her." Hope says as she scratches the back of her neck nervously.

 

"Don't worry about that." Josie smiles. "Let's get home now, okay?"

 

"Yeah."

 

Hope opens the door for Josie and smiles when the younger girl blushes at the gesture. Hope closes the door when Josie sits into the car, and then she walks to the driver's side. She glares at her friend through the window, only for Penelope to blow her a kiss in answer. Hope shakes her head, but she still smiles as she gets inside the car. What an interresting night.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND THEY KISSED !
> 
> How did you feel about this chapter?


	5. don't say her name

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! So do you guys still remember this fic?
> 
> I hope you do cause here is a new chapter!
> 
> Enjoy my friends.

Hope spent a whole week beating herself up over the kiss she shared with Josie at Homecoming. The younger girl had taken her by surprise when she asked her to kiss her, and Hope barely had time to think before she was leaning in and kissing the taller girl. Josie had been clear on the stand-in app, her answer to kissing was a big no. When they talked about it before homecoming, Josie still seemed hesitant, and Hope had made it clear they wouldn't have to do it.

 

That's why on friday, a little after school, Hope finds herself standing outside of Josie's house. Debating with herself, unsure she was doing the right thing. Hope had been avoiding Josie all week. Leaving her texts unanswered, not answering her calls. When Josie got worried on wednesday, Hope shot her a quick text.

 

From Hope :

 

_busy week. sorry.._

 

Hope cringes as she reads the texts again, for the hundreth time since she sent it. Then, she looks up at the house in front of her, gathering her courage to actually go up to the door and knock. When she finally does, she almost turns back around and start to run. To her horror, it's the other Saltzman twin that opens the door.

 

Lizzie frowns, clearly not pleased to see her. "What are you doing here?"

 

"I came to see Josie, is she here?"

 

Lizzie crosses her arms. "Oh, now you want to see her. She's been moping around for a whole week because you didn't even text her."

 

Lizzie is speaking quietly, and Hope wonders why. She quickly gets her answer when Caroline walks to the door with a warm smile.

 

"Hope! It's so good to see you again."

 

"It's good to see you too Caroline." Hope says with her best smile.

 

Lizzie huffs and glares at Hope.

 

"Lizzie, stop being mean to your sister's girlfriend." Caroline scolds. "Josie's upstairs sweetie, you can go up."

 

Hope nods before Lizzie has the chance to say anything. She quickly gets in and goes straight upstairs. She hears someone follow her, but she doesn't dare to look back. Lizzie quickly walks past her, not without pushing her on the way. The blonde girl opens the door she shares with her twin and goes to stand right in front of Josie who is sitting on her bed with her guitar in hand.

 

"You told mom and dad you're dating Hope." Lizzie says. "Why did you do that?" Josie's surprised by her sister's question, just as she's surprised to see Hope awkwardly standing by her bedroom door. "Did you do that to get them off of your back about what happened with Nia?"

 

"Who is Nia?" Hope asks with a frown.

 

"No one!" Josie says.

 

"Josie's evil ex." Lizzie says at the same time.

 

Josie glares at her sister, and it's enough for Hope to understand she wasn't supposed to know that. The awkwardness that fills the room is hard to take. Lizzie has her arms crossed, clearly ready for a fight. Josie looks defeated and uncomfortable. Hope is still standing by the door, unsure as to what to do next.

 

Josie groans before pushing her guitar aside and standing up.

 

"I kind of dated a girl last year. I stupidly got my heart broken because Nia was only with me to get closer to MG, my best friend. She didn't think I'd get so attached, and she didn't mean to hurt me."

 

"You're way too nice about the whole thing. That bitch went out with you to make MG jealous. When she realised you were getting attached she broke it off and left you with a broken heart."

 

"Well, it doesn't matter! She apologized, and we're friends now."

 

"What a bitch though." Hope blurts out.

 

Both twins turn to Hope. Josie with a confused frown and Lizzie with a grin.

 

"Well, for once we agree on something. Maybe you're not that bad." Lizzie looks between her sister and Hope. "Well, you two have a lot of things to discuss so I'll leave you to it."

 

When she passes by Hope, Lizzie stops just long enough to say a thing. "If you ever hurt my sister, I'll find a way to make you suffer."

 

Hope's mouth hangs open. She has nothing to say back to the blonde twin, so she lets her go and looks back at Josie. Lizzie closes the door on her way out, leaving the fake-couple together. The brunette makes eye contact with Hope before shyly looking away as she puts her guitar back into its case. Hope hovers near the door, unsure about her next move. She watches Josie, and when the younger girl sits back on her bed, Hope dares to walk closer to her.

 

"Uh, hi." Hope tries and immediately winces when Josie gives her an unimpressed look. "I could do better, sorry. Actually, I'm sorry for a lot of things. I'm really bad at this feeling thing. Guess Landon had a good reason to dump me after all." Hope finishes with a little chuckle as she looks down at her feet.

 

Josie rolls her eyes. "Don't talk about yourself like that."

 

Hope looks up and meet Josie's eyes. "Sorry."

 

"Stop apologizing and explain yourself instead."

 

Hope opens her mouth several times to answer, but each time nothing comes out. She lets out a groan of frustration and looks away from Josie again. She hears Josie sigh and get up from the bed. When Hope looks back at Josie, the brunette is standing kinda close to her.

 

"Is it about something that happened during Homecoming? Is it the kiss? Or do you want to stop what we're doing?" Josie tries to help Hope.

 

"I'm sorry about the kiss." Hope blurts out.

 

Josie narrows her eyes. "So it is about the kiss. Why are you saying sorry? I told you to do it."

 

"Yeah, but you felt trapped. Our plan wasn't working and you felt like you were forced to let me kiss you. I hate that this happened. I never wanted you to feel uncomfortable."

 

"Wait, wait, wait..." Josie says quickly. "So, if I understand what you're saying. You think I felt trapped and uncomfortable. You made a whole scenario in your head without consulting me at all."

 

As Josie speaks, she crosses her arms and gets even closer to Hope.When the older girl nods at Josie's statement, the brunette uncrosses her arms as she starts to laugh. Hope is so shocked by Josie's reaction that she takes a step back and looks down at the floor.

 

"You've been avoiding me for a week for absolutely nothing!" Josie says as she laughs. "Hope, I didn't feel that way. I was okay with the kiss. Otherwise it wouldn't have happened." Josie takes a step closer to Hope. "Now you can stop feeling guilty and we can speak again, yeah?"

 

After a long moment, Hope pushes her surprise aside and nods. The simple gesture earns her one of Josie's beautiful smile, and Hope realises how much she missed it. Josie reaches for Hope's hand and then pulls her to the bed. Hope catches a glimpse of Josie's guitar case and the curiosity is too much for her.

 

"I didn't know you could play."

 

Josie follows Hope's eyes and the older girl can see a faint blush spreading on the brunette's cheeks.

 

"I'm not that good. I prefered my ukulele." Josie says with a shrug.

 

Hope frowns. "Prefered?"

 

"It's broken." Josie simply says. "Now, stop changing the subject. Tell me, does Landon believe us now?"

 

Hope nods. "Yeah, I think so. He's been distant this week."

 

"Good." Josie wiggles her eyebrows. "So, did we make an impression on your classmates your Highness?"

 

It gets a laugh out of Hope. "Well, a lot of people asked about you and my sexuality. My teamates were concerned about the fact that you're Lizzie's sister. "

 

Josie rolls her eyes. "You jocks are so ridiculus."

 

"Hey!" Hope's voice was mixed with another, and it made Josie and Hope frown.

 

Josie quickly got up and opened the door of her room. Lizzie was standing on the other side with a sheepish smile.

 

"I was just... you know, I needed my-"

 

"You were eavesdropping." Josie cuts her off.

 

Lizzie fakes being shocked."I was merely making sure you were okay. I was making sure I didn't have to kick Hope's ass."

 

Hope snorts. "I'd like to see you try."

 

Both sisters glare at Hope, and the auburn haired girl immediately shuts up. When Josie looks back at Lizzie and sees the blonde's smug smile, the brunette glares at her twin too.

 

"I need the both of you to just stop! We just need to make this work, okay? Lizzie, you want us to go on our trip?" Lizzie nods. "Well, I need money for that. Hope, you need me as your fake girlfriend, right?" It's Hope's turn to nod. "Then we all need to get along."

 

Josie takes a deep breath and watches as her sister and her fake girlfriend look at each other with unsure eyes. Lizzie finally rolls her eyes.

 

"I'll make some efforts." Lizzie says.

 

Josie looks at Hope, and the older girl shrugs. "Same."

 

Josie smiles. "Thank you."

 

Before any of them has time to say anything else, there's a knock on the still opened door. With a smile, MG steps into the room.

 

"Ready for movie night ladies?" It's only then that he notices Hope. "Oh, are you joining us Hope?"

 

Hope's eyes widen. She looks from MG to Josie, and catches a glimpse of Lizzie. A tentative smile, a full blown smile and a forced smile. Hope focuses on the only one that matters though, Josie's big smile is enough to make her sit down to watch whatever movie they're gonna put on.

 

"Well, if it's okay with you guys..." Hope says with a shrug.

 

"Of course! I'm always in charge of the snacks, wanna help me?" Josie says, excited.

 

"Sure." Hope says with an easy smile.

 

As Hope follows Josie out of the room, she misses the looks they're both receiving from Lizzie and MG. The couple waits until both girls can't hear them anymore to speak.

 

"What the fuck? Something is clearly happening." Lizzie whispers-yells.

 

"Well, they do give each other those eyes."

 

"Oh you mean the bedroom eyes?" Lizzie says with a scoff. "I mean, they're not even subtle about it. Did you see how whipped Hope is? I think Josie could make her do anything by giving her a pout and puppy eyes."

 

MG chuckles. "Josie can make anyone do anything when she pouts."

 

Lizzie opens her eyes wide. "I know! She was born with a pout! That's so unfair. We're twins, I should've gotten that too."

 

MG shrugs. "You don't need to pout to make me crazy about you."

 

"Aw, babe that's sweet, but I'm still choosing the movie. It's my turn."

 

MG groans but still gives her a smile. "Which one is it this week? The Note Book or Titanic?"

 

Lizzie playfully pushes him. "Shut up! It's... okay I chose the Note Book this morning."

 

"Fine."

 

MG sighs and goes straight to the DVD stack to get the movie. He finds it without difficulty, and then offers his hand to Lizzie before they step out of the room. When they walk downstairs, they go to the livingroom but find it empty. Lizzie motions for MG to stay quiet and walks as silently as possible to the kitchen. They find Hope and Josie with a stack of food, playing around and laughing.

 

"Josie looks happy, don't you think?" Lizzie whispers.

 

"Yeah, it's a good change. The last time I saw her smile like that was-"

 

"Don't say her name."

 

MG nods, and they walk back to the livingroom. Usually, Lizzie and MG would share the loveseat to have a good excuse to be as close as possible. It was a good way to get the twins' parents off their backs. But when MG walks to the loveseat, Lizzie stops him.

 

"Let's share the couch."

 

MG frowns. "Why?"

 

"I'm just being a good sister." Lizzie says with a smile.

 

MG is confused for a moment. "Oh! Oh, okay I get it. She's gonna hate us for that."

 

Lizzie shrugs and pulls him to the couch. It almost takes Josie and Hope ten minutes to make their way to the livingroom. When they do, it's with their arms full of snacks. As soon as Josie walks into the room, she stops. The couch, _her_ couch, was taken. Lizzie and MG were taking all the space. The only place left was on the loveseat. The loveseat she was gonna have to share with Hope, her fake girlfriend who she had a very real crush on (not that she'd ever admit that).

 

"Josie, is something wrong?" Hope says from behind the taller girl.

 

At the same moment, Josie catches the smug grin on her sister's face. So when Josie turns to face Hope, she gives her her best fake smile.

 

"Everything's perfect. I guess we'll share the loveseat, if that's okay with you."

 

"Sure." Hope says before sitting down, followed by Josie. "So, what movie are we watching?"

 

"The Note Book." MG replies.

 

"Not again! Lizzie we've watched it like ten times."

 

"Well, it's my week, so I get to decide." Lizzie says before sticking her tongue out.

 

"Hope, please say something." Josie pleads.

 

"I've never seen The Note Book, so I don't really have an opinion."

 

"See! Your girlfriend has never seen it, we have to watch it."

 

Josie blushes hard when Lizzie's words hit her. When she chances a glance at Hope, it's clear the older girl is blushing too.

 

"Lizzie..." Josie says with a warning tone.

 

Lizzie rolls her eyes. "So sensitive. MG play the movie."

 

Nobody speaks for the first ten minutes of the movie. After that, Hope clearly sees MG and Lizzie sucking face. She's about to make a little joke about it to Josie, when she notices how uncomfortable the girl looks. Josie is sitting as far away from Hope as possible. They're not touching, even though the space is clearly limited. Josie's arms are wrapped around herself, and she's biting her bottom lip.

 

"Josie..." Hope whispers really quietly, the movie is loud enough to cover it. It's only loud enoug for Josie to hear her. "Do you want me to go?"

 

Josie's head snaps towards Hope. "What? No."

 

"You look uncomfortable. What's it about?"

 

"I don't want to make you uncomfortable." Josie says back.

 

"Do you want to... you know, cuddle. I know you like that, and it would be a lot more comfortable than us doing everything to not touch each other."

 

Josie's face lights up. "Really?"

 

"Yes." Hope says with a smile. "How do we do this?"

 

"Lean back on the arm of the loveseat and I'll cuddle into your side."

 

It takes a bit of time and fumbling, but after that both girls let out a satisfied sigh. Hope's arms are wrapped around Josie, and the brunette's head is resting against Hope's shoulder. Josie quickly recognizes the feeling settling down in herself. The safety and warmth that comes with cuddling Hope Mikaelson. She notices something new this time.

 

"You smell like oranges." Josie blurts out before she can stop herself.

 

"Uh, sorry?" Hope says clearly uncertain. "It's my favorite fruit. I eat them all the time. Does it bother you?

 

"What? No, don't... I was just... You smell good."

 

"Can you two please stop talking? We're missing all the cute moments!" Lizzie says, annoyed.

 

"Oh, sorry, we didn't notice you were actually watching the movie." Hope says with an innocent voice.

 

"Yeah, you totally broke the 'No make-out sessions' rule." Josie adds.

 

"Didn't think you'd mind since you have someone to-"

 

"Lizzie, it's enough." MG steps in. "Sorry girls, it won't happen again." He says with a smile.

 

The rest of the movie is played without any other incidents. When it finally ends, Hope tells the others she has to go.

 

"Really? But it's friday night, and it's only 9:30." Josie protests.

 

"I wish I could stay longer, but I have a volleyball game tomorrow and it's early." Hope says with an apologetic smile.

 

"Who are you playing against?" Lizzie asks, suddenly interested.

 

Hope smirks. "Cornwall."

 

Lizzie pulls a face. "They're so bad. It'll be an easy game."

 

Hope shrugs. "Should be." Hope gets up from the couch. "Thanks for letting me crash your movie night."

 

"Whatever." Lizzie says.

 

"It was our pleasure." Josie says at the same time. "I'll walk you to the door." She adds.

 

Hope nods. "Goodnight MG, you too Lizzie."

 

Lizzie and MG both say goodnight, and Hope walks out of the room, followed by Josie. Hope only stops when she's standing in front of Josie's door, ready to walk out. That's when she turns around to face her fake girlfriend.

 

"So we're good, right?"

 

Josie softly smiles. "We've been cuddling for the past hour Hope. So, yes, we're good."

 

Hope smiles back. "I'll see you soon then?"

 

"Sure, whenever you want."

 

The older girl nods. "I'll call you."

 

"Yeah." Josie breathes out.

 

"Goodnight Jo." Hope says.

 

Even though Hope wished the same to MG and Lizzie, it somehow feels totally different when she says it to Josie. Her voice is softer and her eyes are full of care. It's all it takes for Josie to step closer and pull Hope in for a hug. It takes a couple of seconds for Hope to reciprocate the embrace, but when she does, Josie feels once again safe and warm. It all ends too soon though, and with the blink of an eye, Hope is out of the door and she's driving away from Josie's house.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think about this one? How do you feel about Nia being Josie's ex? (She had to be, because I wanted Penelope and Hope to be friends...) Oh and you'll meet Nia eventually!
> 
> Anyway! Next chapter : there's a volleyball game and a party!


	6. cuddles are a good way to ease a broken heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! You're not dreaming, I'm actually posting 2 chapters in a week.
> 
> Yay!

Hope takes her time to lace her shoelaces. She's the last one in the locker room, and she likes it like that. She loves to be alone with her excitement before a game. Playing against Cornwall would be easy, they had one of the worst team in the whole state. Still, Hope feels the pre-game excitement fill her. She loves volleyball, always had. What's even better, is that she's _good_ at it. No one could deny that, not even Dana or Lizzie.

 

As Hope gets up and walks to the door and straight into the gym, she feels the confidence wash over her. She walks confidently to where her team mates are all gathered. Her steps slow down when she meets some familiar brown eyes in the crowd. Josie Saltzman, her fake girlfriend, is sitting onto the bleachers next to Penelope. For some reason, a warm feeling invades Hope and she finds herself giving a smile and an awkward wave to Josie. The younger girl smiles widely and gives her an excited wave.

 

"Mikaelson! You can go back to awkward flirting once you've won this game, understood?" The coach yells at Hope.

 

It's loud enough that everyone hears it in the gym, and it makes Hope blush hard. From the corner of her eyes, she sees Josie giggles. She wishes she could have heard it, the auburn haired girl is sure it sounds beautiful. Hope quickly shakes her head and tries to tune in to what the coach is telling the team. Once that's over, it's time to play. They take their place, and Hope can practically feel the uneasiness of the other team. She smirks as she makes eye contact with her team mates.

 

The game ends in favor of Hope's team. They totally crushed the other team, and Hope is on cloud 9. She's one of the first girl to get out of the locker room, and she walks with her head held high.

 

"Oh don't be so smug, everyone knows you're good." Penelope says with a smirk.

 

Hope smiles and lets her friend hug her. It's brief, just like every time they hugged in public. Then she sees Josie standing behind Penelope, and Hope only hesitates for a split second before she's hugging the younger girl. Josie's embrace is soft, yet tight.

 

"Hey, I didn't know you were coming!" Hope says when they pull apart.

 

Josie smiles. "Well when you mentionned the game last night, I got the idea to surprise you. Is that okay?"

 

"It's perfect, I'm happy you're here."

 

"Hope!" Dana calls out from behind Hope. "Care to introduce me to your new girlfriend?"

 

Hope frowns but obliges. "Dana, that's Josie. Josie, that's my team mate Dana."

 

"It's so nice to meet you." Dana says with the fakest smile ever.

 

"Likewise." Josie answers with a much more genuine smile.

 

"Babe!" Dana calls out. Hope, Josie and Penelope follow Dana's eyes and are met with the sight of a very awkward looking Landon. "Come and meet Hope's new girlfriend."

 

Landon walks up to them and gives a smile to Hope. When he feels Penelope's glare, he looks down, and only looks up to look at Josie. The brunette holds his gaze, unwilling to let him intimidate her.

 

"Hey, I'm Josie."

 

"Landon." He simply answers.

 

Dana bumps Landon's shoulder. "Isn't she lovely? Perfect for Hope."

 

He shrugs. "I guess."

 

"I think it was fate, really. Me getting with Landon, and you getting with Hope. All the stars aligned." Dana says to Josie.

 

Josie snorts. "That's one way to put it."

 

"We have to go, let's go Jo." Hope says.

 

Before taking a step, Hope gently takes Josie's hand into hers. Their eyes meet and they start walking, not waiting for anyone to say anything else. Hope feels good as she walks away, her hand firmly holding Josie's. The brunette had been amazing as she faced her ex and his new girlfriend. She, on the other hand, had been a complete mess. Words were stuck in her throat and she wanted to run. But Josie had held her head high, and it made Hope proud.

 

They're halfway through the parking lot when they hear someone coming from behind them.

 

"You could have waited for me." Penelope says. "Good job back there Jojo, I almost thought it was real!"

 

Josie smiles at her. "Thanks."

 

"Jojo?" Hope says with a frown.

 

"That's the nickname I gave her." Penelope says.

 

"Right." Hope looks from Penelope to Josie, and back to Penelope. "I completely blacked out. I can't stand Dana."

 

"Yeah, I get why Lizzie hates her so much. Maybe you two could bond over your hate for that girl" Josie says with a smirk.

 

Hope lets out a laugh. "That's a good idea."

 

"So, you're both going to the party tonight, right?" Penelope asks.

 

"What party?" Josie asks.

 

"There's always a party when the team wins." Penelope explains with a grin.

 

"I don't like parties, you know that." Hope protests.

 

"Yes, but now you need to show everyone how happy you are in your new relationship. Dana and Landon will be there, it's time to put on a show again."

 

Hope frowns as she thinks about what Penelope was saying. She definitely had a point. A party is a good place to show off. However, she hated how uncomfortable they made her feel.

 

"How do you feel about parties?"

 

Josie looks uncomfortable. "They're not really my scene, but I don't mind going."

 

"You don't have to." Hope quickly says. "We're not going." Hope says to Penelope.

 

Penelope looks at them like they've gone completely mad. "People expect the two of you to be there."

 

"Maybe we could just, you know, show up. We don't have to stay for long." Josie suggests.

 

"I don't want you to feel forced to go."

 

Josie's smile soften. "Stop worrying about me. If I don't wanna do something, I won't do it."

 

Hope feels the blush on her cheeks. "Okay. Then we could go for like fifteen minutes."

 

"Then we could ditch the party, go on a date and post pictures of it." Josie says with a shrug.

 

"That's such a good idea!" Penelope says, excited. "The two lovebirds ditch a party to go on a cute date. Everyone will talk about it!"

 

Hope smiles. "That's settled then."

 

*****

 

When Hope picks Josie up later that night, she almost stops breathing. Josie is gorgeous. She's wearing a skirt. Not the short kind of skirt most girls like to wear. No, she's wearing a beautiful flowery skirt that falls to her knees. Her blouse is tucked inside her skirt and a jean jacket completes her look. They say goodbye to Josie's parents, and then walk to Hope's car. The older girl holds the door of the car open for her fake girlfriend. Josie smiles and says a little 'thank you' before stepping inside the car. Once Hope is also sitting in the car, she glances at Josie and gives her a small smile before starting the car. They're sitting in silence for like two minutes before Hope can't take it anymore.

 

"Do you want to put some music on? My car has a bluetooth connection." Hope suggest, her eyes never leaving the road.

 

"Sure." Josie says with a smile.

 

It takes a couple of seconds, but soon enough music is replacing the silence in the car. It's a soft tune that Hope doesn't recognize, but it sounds good. Her eyes leaves the road for a second to look at Josie, and the sight warms her heart. Josie's eyes are closed and she's mouthing the words of the song.

 

"What's the name of the song?" Hope finds herself asking.

 

"It's called 'I'll be waiting'." Josie replies with a smile. "It's by Isak Danielson, do you know him?"

 

"No, should I?"

 

"Not really." Josie says with a giggle.

 

Hope realises how right she was at the game, the sound of Josie's giggle was truly beautiful, just like her.

 

Hope clears her throat. "I, uh, forgot to tell you, but you're really pretty tonight."

 

The older girl forces herself to look straight ahead, she didn't want to see Josie's reaction. But Josie doesn't say a thing, instead she reaches for Hope's hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. Hope doesn't mention the fact that Josie doesn't let go of her hand after that, she just let it be. Josie only lets go when Hope parks her car in front a relatively big house.

 

"So, fifteen minutes, right?" Hope says with a smile.

 

Josie nods. "Fifteen minutes, then I whisper in your ear about our date and we leave."

 

"Awesome." Hope turns to her door, but before opening she turns to Josie again. "Wait for me to open your door, okay?"

 

Josie smiles. "What a gentlewoman."

 

Hope grins and gets out of the car. She does a little speed walk to get to Josie's side, and opens the door while holding out her hand to help Josie out of the car.

 

"Ready?" Hope asks.

 

"More than ever."

 

Then they're walking towards the house. Hope opens the door without knocking and Josie assumes that she knows whose house they are at. There's people everywhere, and it immediately makes Josie anxious. She knows none of these people, and the only thing that reassures her is when Hope takes her hand in hers. They don't walk for long before boys and girls stop them. Some are congratulating Hope, others are only curious about Josie. Hope briefly talks with them before moving again. Some people offer them a drink, which they refuse. It takes them a while to find Penelope, the short haired girl is making out with Amanda by the pool in the backyard.

 

"I thought they weren't dating." Josie says to Hope.

 

"They're not, they 'casually hook-up', those are Pen's words, not mine." Hope replies. "Maybe we should just leave them alone."

 

"Yeah, I think you're right."

 

They both turn around to get back in the house, but as soon as Josie turns, she collides with someone. Someone who spills their entire drink on her.

 

"Shit! Josie, are you okay?" Hope quickly asks.

 

"Sorry! I didn't see you there."

 

Hope's head snap in the direction of the familiar voice. Landon doesn't look that guilty and it's enough to anger Hope. She's about to yell at him when Josie's hand comes to rest on her forearm.

 

"I'm fine, I'm just gonna go to the bathroom to clean myself up. I'll be back in sec."

 

Before Hope can protest, or even follow her, Josie is gone. Hope decides to focus herself on Landon.

 

"What the hell?!"

 

"I didn't do it on purpose!" He protests.

 

Hope rolls her eyes. "Yeah, right."

 

Hope turns around to leave.

 

"I didn't think you'd move on so quickly." Landon calls out to her.

 

"What do you mean?" Hope asks as she turns around to face him again.

 

He shrugs. "How long have you known her?"

 

Hope is taken aback. "What are you saying?"

 

Landon walks closer to Hope. "I'm saying you two look awfully close. You go out at a party with her, allow her to show you affection in public, kiss her in the parking lot of our school..."

 

"Are you seriously thinking that I cheated on you? You're the one who got a new girlfriend two weeks after our break up!"

 

"Why does it look like she gets more than I did then?" Landon says, his voice getting louder. "All I wanted was for you to open up, but you never did!"

 

Landon's words hit Hope like a punch to the stomach. She takes a step back, and quickly sees that people are watching them. For the second time that year, Landon exposing their relationship to the school.

 

"Hope?"

 

Hope turns around and is met by the warm brown eyes of Josie. Josie, who looks so soft when she looks at Hope and so fierce when her eyes land on Landon. The brunette walks straight to the boy, she walks until she's so close to him that he feels like taking a step back.

 

"If you ever hurt my girlfriend again, I'll make sure you never get to speak to her again, did I make myself clear?" Josie says, looking Landon straight in the eyes. "I think it's really pathetic that you feel the need to do that kind of thing in public, and it makes me so glad that Hope never opened up to you."

 

Josie turns on her heels and walks to Hope, the older girl is silently watching her with her eyes filled with tears. As soon as she's close enough to Hope, Josie carefully take her hands in hers.

 

"Come on babe, let's get out of here." Josie says with a warm smile.

 

Hope lets Josie lead her out of the house under the gaze of pretty much all her classmates. She blindly follows Josie out of the house, and hands her keys to the younger girl when she asks for them. As soon as they're both settled in the car, Josie starts to drive. She drives without a destination, she just wants to get Hope as far away from Landon as possible.

 

"Can I borrow your phone to put some music on?" Hope says in a small voice.

 

"Sure, here" Josie says back as she hands her phone to Hope.

 

None of the artists or songs ring a bell to Hope, so she clicks on the first one that sounds sad. The soft strings of a guitar fill the silence and it's enough for Hope. It takes her three songs to say something.

 

"Do you know where Seventh Street is?" Josie nods. "Go to 1276 Seventh Street."

 

So Josie does. When they get there, she's surprised to end up in front of one the largest house she's ever seen.

 

"Just park the car wherever." Hope tells her.

 

Josie does as she's told again. She only gets out of the car when Hope does and quietly follows as the older girl moves into the house. The atmosphere of the house is colder than a home should be, and there's no pictures hanging on the walls. Josie hears laughter from a room a little farther down the hall.

 

"That's my house. I live with my aunt Freya and her wife, Keelin. They're my legal guardians." Hope quickly explains before moving upstairs.

 

She leads Josie to her room, but stays silent when they get there. Hope's room is a little less cold than her house, but not by far. It makes Josie wonder why, but she doesn't ask.

 

"Cuddles are a good way to ease a broken heart." Josie says instead.

 

There's a little smile on Hope's face when she moves to her bed. She lays on her right side and wait for Josie to join her. So Josie does. Soon enough, they're spooning on Hope's bed with the sound of their breathing being the only that breaks the silence. Josie's embrace is tight as her head rests in the crook of Hope's neck. Hope lets out a sigh, finally feeling like a weight is being lifted from her shoulders.

 

"You'll be alright, Hope. Sometimes people turn out to be assholes, but it's not always like that. Believe me."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops, it got a little sad 🤷♀️


	7. i made a playlist, it's - it's called Josie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! 
> 
> It wasn't that long since last chapter this time (i'm kinda proud of myself). 
> 
> Hope you'll enjoy this one!

"Good practice everyone!" The teacher says loudly. "Keep practicing, and I'll see all of you next tuesday."

 

Josie takes her time before getting up. She silently watches as everyone around her put their instruments away. When most of the orchestra member are out of the room, Josie gets up and starts to gather her music sheets. She loved the orchestra and playing the piano, but it could be really tiring sometime. The winter show wasn't even that close, but their teacher was ruthless. Josie pushes her bench, and grabs her bag, ready to go back home.

 

"Good job today Josie."

 

Josie quickly turns to her right, where the voice comes from. She's met with a hesitant Nia. Their relationship could only be described as awkward now. They are both working hard to stay friends, but nothing could ever be the same and they knew it. Josie still smiles at the girl, that's what they had agreed on. Short and amicable conversations.

 

"Thanks, you too. That solo is perfect for you." Josie curses herself, a thank you would have been enough.

 

Nia smiles and walks closer to Josie. "Thank you Jo. Could I walk you to your car?"

 

Josie wants to say no, but instead she says: "Sure."

 

Josie does her best to keep their conversations on 'small talk' grounds. The weather, the classes, the winter show. It works well, Nia seems okay with small talk. That is until they get to Josie's car, and the brunette is about to say goodbye.

 

"Josie, wait." Nia asks.

 

Josie's hand is resting on her car's door. "Uh, okay."

 

"I know I messed up, okay? But maybe, we could work on this. I hurt you, I know I did. But I'm over MG now, and I miss you. I miss us. Josie... we were good together, don't you think? I'm just asking you for a second chance. I mean, we can't really forget our first..."

 

Josie feels the blush cover her cheeks. She didn't need to be reminded of the fact she had lost her virginity to Nia. Nia, who broke her heart and is now asking for a second chance. Nia, who stands in front of her with a hopeful smile. Nia, who can still make her heart stutter a little.

 

"I have a girlfriend." Josie blurts out.

 

Nia frowns in confusion. "Really? Who?"

 

"Her name's Hope Mikaelson and she's hot." Lizzie says from behind Nia. "Josie has moved on, now get away from her before I get angry."

 

"Lizzie..." Josie tries, but she can't get anything else out. So she just looks at the ground.

 

"You're really dating that girl? Since when?"

 

"It's been a couple of weeks." Josie manages to say. "I really like her."

 

"Okay. I guess I can respect that." Nia says before giving a small smile. "Goodbye Josie."

 

"Goodbye Nia."

 

When Nia is so far away that Josie can't even see her, she finally allows herself to properly breathe again. Josie leans on the door of her car and tries to calm her breath. It was still painful to see her ex, but to reject her had been a lot harder than she'd like to admit.

 

"Jo, talk to me please." Lizzie says, rubbing Josie's arms. "Do you need me to call dad?"

 

Josie opens her mouth to say something, but nothing gets out.

 

"That's it I'm calling him."

 

It barely takes ten minutes before their dad comes to pick them up. Lizzie gets into his van, and leaves him alone with Josie. If someone could calm her down, it would be their dad. Alaric went to a lot of counseling to be able to help Lizzie with her bipolar disorder, so this kind of is what he does best. When Lizzie looks through the window of the car, she sees her sister crying into their father's arms. It breaks Lizzie's heart to know that she wasn't able to stop that conversation from happening. After a couple of seconds, she tears her eyes away from her crying sister. Lizzie opens her phone and quickly write a message.

 

To Hope :

 

_Jo needs u... can u come over?_

 

It barely takes a second for Hope to reply.

 

From Hope :

 

_on my way. what's happening? and why are u the one texting me?_

 

Lizzie rolls her eyes.

 

To Hope :

 

_not my place to tell! and... she s upset, she doesn't know I texted u_

 

Lizzie barely has the time to read Hope's text before Josie shuffles into the backseat. Her eyes are still full of tears, and she does her best to let her eyes on the ground.

 

"Can I share the backseat with you?" Lizzie softly asks.

 

Josie looks up and gives her a teary smile. "I'd like that."

 

The twins sit together on the back of the van. For the entire ride, neither one of them talk. Josie cuddles to her sister's side and places her head on the blonde's shoulder. Lizzie holds Josie's hand tightly, just to make sure her sister knows she's there. When they get to their house, Hope is already there. The older girl is leaning on her car. Lizzie can clearly see the worry on her face, and it makes her glad that she texted her.

 

"Why is Hope here?" Josie asks, her voice trembling.

 

"Uh, I don't know." Lizzie lies, even though she knows she's a terrible liar.

 

"Lizzie!" Josie hisses.

 

Before Josie can get mad at her, Lizzie quickly slips out of the van. Josie quickly wipes the remaining tears on her face. Hope didn't have to know what happened. Then she gets out of the van. As soon as she's out, Hope quickly walks to her.

 

"Hey." Hope says softly.

 

"Hey!" Josie tries with her best smile. "Did we have plans? Cause I totally forgot."

 

Hope frowns. "You don't have to do this."

 

Josie crosses her arms. "What do you mean?"

 

Hope shakes her head. "Put on this mask. This fake happy, this fake strong. And by the way, you don't have to act all defensive with me. Need I remind you I let myself crumble in your arms last week?"

 

Josie uncrosses her arms as soon as Hope's words hit her. Fake happy, fake strong... The words kept swirling in her mind. It seemed like it was all she had done since Nia broke her heart. Faking being happy for the sake of her family and her friends. Fake being strong, because she had always been the strong one. She had to be, for Lizzie.

 

"Get in my car. I'll bring you somewhere you won't have to keep the act up." Hope suggest.

 

It takes Josie a couple of seconds to make up her mind. "I'll go tell my parents, give me a minute."

 

Hope nods. "I'll wait in the car, take your time."

 

It takes a minute and a half for Josie to get back to Hope's car. When she does, she gets in and buckle her seat belt before letting out a breath.

 

"Curfew's at 8 since it's a school night." Josie says quietly.

 

"Okay." Hope says. "Let's go then." Hope drives for only a minute or two before speaking again. "Here, take my phone and put some music on. I made a playlist, it's - it's called Josie."

 

"You named your playlist after me?" Josie says, surprise evident in her voice.

 

"I mean, it's made of songs that reminded me of the ones you made me listen to. It only made sense to give it your name." Hope replies with a shrug.

 

Josie smiles as she looks at Hope's face, but the older girl keeps her eyes on the road. It takes Josie a couple of seconds to get her attention back to the music, but when she does, she's pleasantly surprised by Hope's choice of songs. She recognizes most of the artists, most of the songs too. So Josie opens the playlist and closes her eyes, letting herself go completely. Sometimes, without even realising it, she sings along to the songs. Those times are Hope's favorite. She's almost tempted to bring the volume down to hear Josie sing, but she doesn't. Since Josie's eyes stay close, Hope glances at her from time to time, when the road allows it. They're almost out of town when Hope stops the car. Josie immediately opens her eyes. They're in the parking lot of the only Mcdonald's of Mystic Falls.

 

"We're just stopping to get some food. It'll be late when we'll come back."

 

Josie nods and follows Hope inside. They order, and Hope insists to pay. It only takes them five minutes to get back into the car. As soon as they're back in, Hope starts the car. The music fills the car again, but Josie doesn't close her eyes. She doesn't sing along either. Hope still glances at her, only to find Josie deep in thoughts. Hope reaches for Josie's hand to get her attention.

 

"Are you thinking about dumping my ass because I bought you Mcdonald's for dinner? Because I promise to bring you somewhere a lot more fancy next time." Hope teases Josie.

 

It's enough to get a real laugh out of Josie. "Idiot." She gets serious before replying to Hope's question. "No, I was just... thinking."

 

Hope looks at Josie for a second again. "It's okay, you know. You don't have to tell me. Just let me make it better."

 

Josie doesn't say a thing, but she does squeeze Hope's hand.

 

"What do you think of the playlist?" Hope asks.

 

"It's good."

 

Hope gives Josie an disbelieving look with a smirk. "That's all you have to say."

 

Josie chuckles. "It's good really, but you just listened to some mainstream songs of some amazing artists. Like you put 'Hold back the river' by James Bay, which is a good song, but also one of his most played. If you dig deeper into his songs, you'll discover some gems like 'Slide' or 'Move together'."

 

"I love when you talk about music." Hope says. "You're passionate."

 

Josie lets the compliment sink in. She doesn't know what to say, and thankfully she doesn't have to. Hope parks the car in a little parking lot near a forest. Josie can see a path leading into the forest.

 

"At the end of the path, there's a dock where we can eat. Are you up for that?"

 

"A dock? Like on the water."

 

"Yes, Josie. A dock on the water." Hope mocks her fake girlfriend.

 

Josie pushes Hope's shoulder. "Shut up!"

 

Then the younger girl unbuckle her seatbelt and gets out of the car, quickly followed by Hope. The auburn haired girl carries their dinner as she leads Josie to the pathway.

 

"Lizzie texted you, right?" Josie softly asks as they walk side by side.

 

"Yeah." Hope says.

 

"I'm sorry. She shouldn't have."

 

"Why not? We're friends, and I'm glad to be here for you if you need me."

 

Josie shrugs. "Thank you, I really appreciate it. I just... normally she would've called MG. I don't know why she asked you to come."

 

"Well, I'm happy she did. This relationship has to go both ways Jo. You're there for me when I need it, and I'm here for you when you need it. Okay?"

 

"Okay." Josie quietly says.

 

It takes them about ten minutes to get to the dock, and when they do, Josie's mouth goes slack.

 

"This... this is beautiful!"

 

"I know." Hope says with a hint of sadness.

 

Josie quickly hears it and turns to Hope. The older girl clearly had memories here. Josie opens her mouth to say something, but Hope hold a hand up to shut her up.

 

"No, not right now at least. We're here for you." Hope takes a deep breath. "Let's eat."

 

"Okay."

 

They settle down on the docks and quickly dives into their meals.

 

"I should have brought a blanket or something." Hope says.

 

"Next time." Josie says with a smile.

 

Hope smiles back. "Sure, next time." Hope takes a fry, but she asks a question before putting it in her mouth. "Why did you get home so late today?"

 

"Oh, I had a practice with the orchestra after school. I have them every tuesday actually."

 

"Really? You're part of the orchestra?" Josie nods. "What do you play? The guitar? Is there even a guitar in an orchestra?"

 

Josie giggles. "Yes, really. Yes, I'm a part of the orchestra, and I actually play the piano."

 

Hope's eyes widen. "How many instruments do you play?"

 

"Well, three if you count the ukulele."

 

"That's so cool! Could I hear you sometime?"

 

Josie smiles. "Maybe. You could come to our winter show. It'll be like a week before the end of classes."

 

"Let me know when, I'll be there."

 

"Okay."

 

They both stop talking after that, letting the comfortable silence fill the air. Josie looks around as she eats, trying to take in all the beauty of the place. Hope mostly looks at Josie, trying her best to be subtle about it. She just wanted to make sure Josie was okay. She only gets caught one time, and that's when Josie turns to face her.

 

"What are you passionate about?" Josie asks.

 

"Passionate?"

 

"Yeah, earlier, you said I was passionate about music, and I am. What is your passion?"

 

"Oh, I don't-"

 

"Don't say you don't have one. I know that's not true." Josie stops her.

 

Hope closes her eyes. She could do this. Josie was worth it.

 

"Painting. I used to paint a lot. Not that much anymore, but I still love it."

 

"Why did you stop?" Josie asks with a cute little frown.

 

"I didn't stop, I just... It got hard to paint after my parents died. It's something I shared with my father. He- he actually showed me how to paint here."

 

"Shit, Hope I didn't mean to push so hard-"

 

Hope cuts her off. "It's fine. I wanted to tell you, it's just really hard to." Hope clears her throat. "Anyway, I'll put all of this in the garbage. I'll be back in a minute."

 

Hope quickly gathers their trash and gets up, leaving Josie on the dock. Josie decides to get up too, and walks closer to the edge of the dock. The water is calm, and the sun is almost set. The autumn air is chill, but not not cold.

 

"I hope the water isn't cold." Hope says from behind Josie.

 

Josie frowns. "Why?"

 

When the younger girl turns around, she quickly notices that Hope's shoes are off.

 

"You know how to swim, right?" Hope asks.

 

Josie's eyes widen. "I'm not going into the water. It must be freezing."

 

"You didn't answer my question. I guess you did it on purpose, but the thing is, I asked Lizzie earlier when I was throwing the trash into the garbage. She said you're a good swimmer. Maybe you should take your shoes off."

 

Josie shakes her head. "Hope, I swear if you-"

 

Josie cuts herself off when Hope's lips form a smirk. She knows she's in trouble. Hope walks to her with that smirk never leaving her face. Josie puts her hands in front of her in an attempt to stop Hope. Then the brunette quickly gets her phone out of her jean's pocket and put it on the dock.

 

"Okay! I'll take my shoes off, just let me- ah!"

 

The following moment is kind of a blur to Josie. Hope's steps get faster, she grabs Josie and jumps into the water. When their body collides with the water, it's cold, but not as much as Josie would've thought. She quickly swims to the surface. Hope's head is already poking out of the water, and she's laughing.

 

"I hate you so much!" Josie cries out.

 

"No, you don't!" Hope says back.

 

"Pretty sure I do, right now."

 

Hope swims closer to Josie. "Come on, it's not that cold."

 

"I'll be all wet, Hope! You didn't even let me take my shoes off." Josie says, trying her best to sound mad.

 

Hope looks guilty. "Sorry, I just... wanted us to have fun. I didn't mean to upset you."

 

Then Josie can't take it anymore, and starts laughing. Hope looks shocked for a moment before she splashes water into Josie's face.

 

"Idiot! I thought you were really mad at me."

 

"What? I'm the idiot, you're the one who pulled me into the water. You totally deserved the cold shoulder. Actually, I should have acted mad for the remaining of the night."

 

Josie gets a little worried when a look of horror crosses Hope's face.

 

"Shit! Your curfew."

 

Josie's eyes widen. They quickly get out of the water. Josie goes straight to her phone. 7:51. Shit, there was no way she could make it home on time.

 

"Come on, let's get back to my car."

 

They walk quickly to Hope's car, and when they get there Hope winces.

 

"My car will be all wet."

 

Josie rolls her eyes. "Whose fault is that?"

 

Hope sighs. "Mine."

 

The older girl takes the time to open the door to Josie, and somehow it gets Josie's stomach to flutter just like it did the night of the Homecoming dance. As soon as Hope starts to drive, Josie dials her parents phone.

 

"Hi mom."

 

" _Hi sweetheart, are you better?_ " Caroline asks her voice full of concern.

 

"Much better. I had a great time."

 

" _Good, where are you?_ "

 

"I'm not really sure right now, but I'm on my way home. The thing is, I won't get home before curfew."

 

" _Josie, you know the rules..._ " Caroline warns.

 

"I know! We just... we had a good time and I didn't see the time. I'm sorry."

 

Caroline sighs. " _We'll talk when you'll get home. Be safe._ "

 

"Okay, thank you mom. Bye."

 

Josie as she hangs up.

 

"Is everything okay? I can explain everything to your parents. I don't want you to be grounded or anything."

 

"I don't know, I think it'll be alright." Josie says as a shiver runs down her spine.

 

"Are you cold? Let's put some heat on."

 

Hope reaches for the heat at the same time as Josie does, and their hands touch. For some reason, the touch is enough for both of them to pull away. Josie looks away shyly, unsure as to what to do next. Hope looks to the road, her hands gripping the steering wheel a little tighter than necessary. It takes Hope a couple of seconds the realise the heat is still not on, so she reaches again to put it on. Both girls are left wondering why that touch had felt so weird. After all, they had done a lot more than touch before. They held hand the same day.

 

"Can I put some music o-"

 

"Sure." Hope quickly blurts out, not even letting Josie finish her sentence.

 

Neither one of them speak for the rest of the ride. When they get to Josie's house, Alaric and Caroline are waiting for their daughter outside of their house. 8:31.

 

"Do you think they hate me now?" Hope asks, a little worried.

 

"No." Josie answers. "But they're pissed. You'll have some making up to do. Oh, and dates on school nights are definitely over now."

 

"Noted." Hope says with a smile

 

Josie undoes her seat belt. "I'm gonna kiss your cheek, just for show, you know?"

 

"Sure." Hope says, but she still feels herself squeeze the wheel tighter.

 

Josie's lips stay on her cheek for a couple of seconds, and then the brunette leans to whisper in Hope's ear.

 

"I had a good time, thank you. Good night Hope."

 

Then Josie leans back into her seat and gives Hope a final smile before stepping out of the car. Hope blankly stares at Josie's retreating form, she watches as her parents obviously scold her. Then she can't take it anymore. Hope gets out of the car and walk to the house.

 

"Josie! Wait..." Hope says.

 

Josie and her parents turn around. They're all surprised to see Hope there and not driving away in her car.

 

"I, uh... I didn't get the chance to say good night, you got out too fast."

 

Josie shakes her head and smiles. "Well, say it then."

 

"Yeah! Of course, so, uh..."

 

"Alaric, let's leave them for a moment so they can properly say goodnight." Caroline says with a soft smile.

 

Alaric frowns. "They get back after curfew and we let them 'properly' say goodnight?"

 

Caroline chuckles. "Young love Rick, did you forget how it feels like?" She says as she leads her husband into the house.

 

When Josie's parents disappear inside their house, Hope is blushing hard.

 

"They think I wanted to kiss you goodnight." Hope states the facts.

 

Josie giggles. "What did you expect when you got out of your car?"

 

"I just wanted to say goodnight!"

 

Josie shakes her head with a fond smile. "So... my father is definitely watching from the living room's window, to make sure I get in as soon as it's over."

 

"Okay, so we have to..." Hope nods. "Let's do it."

 

Josie walks closer to Hope and lets the older girl pull her even closer. Before their lips can touch, Josie puts some distance between them again.

 

"It has to be as real as possible, but remember that my parents are looking, okay?"

 

Instead of replying, Hope closes the gap between them. She presses her lips to Josie's, tasting the brunette's lips for the second time. The feeling in the bottom of her stomach that she thought was nervousness the first time, is back. She feels a flutter, this time she decides to ignore it. So she tightens her hold on Josie's waist and slowly moves her lips. It's so soft. Everything about Josie is soft, her hands, her smile, her lips... Hope decides to pull away when her thoughts get too much, but she stays close and puts her forehead on Josie's.

 

"That was a great goodnight kiss." Josie comments, a little out of breath.

 

"Yeah." Hope says. "Goodnight Jo."

 

"Goodnight."

 

Hope quickly pecks Josie's lips without letting herself think too much. Then she pulls away and starts to walk to her car, leaving a slightly stunned Josie behind.

 

*****

 

"Hope Andrea Mikaelson!" Freya roars. "Where the hell were you tonight?!"

 

Hope barely had the chance to step foot in her house before her aunt started to yell at her.

 

"Do you know how worried we were? I called everyone! Penelope, Rebekah, Marcel, even Kol! No one knew where you were!"

 

"I-"

 

Freya cuts her off. "You better have a good explanation or I swear that you'll be grounded for the rest of your life!"

 

"God, Freya let the girl talk!" Keelin puts in Hope's favor. Receiving a glare from her wife and a smile from her niece.

 

"Thank you Keelin! I was out with a friend."

 

"Oh, I need more than that young lady."

 

Hope rolls her eyes. "Okay, wanna know the whole story? I was at the old dock with my girlfriend. She had a bad day and needed me. I didn't think to call, sorry."

 

"You... you went to the old dock?" Freya asks taken aback.

 

"You have a girlfriend?" Keelin asks with her eyes wide.

 

"Yeah... She needed to get away, and it seemed like the perfect place."

 

"Ar- are you okay?" Freya hesitantly asks.

 

"I think so. I used to be sad when I thought of the old dock, but now that I went with Josie, I guess it's full of beautiful memories again."

 

"Wait a minute, since when do you have a girlfriend? I thought you were straight." Keelin says clearly confused.

 

Hope scoffs. "I did too, but now I'm not sure. Josie's special, that's all I'm sure of."

 

"Oh my god, are you in love Hope?" Freya asks.

 

Hope takes a step back. "What? No! It's not... Forget it!"

 

Before either one of the woman can add anything, Hope rushes upstairs. When she closes the door of her room, her heart is racing. She meant every word she just said to her aunts. But the reality of that was hard to swallow. So Hope decides to focus herself on the other thing that was on her mind. She needed to paint, and she had a pretty good idea of who was her muse.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little sad 🤷♀️  
> A little fluffy 😘
> 
> What did you think?


	8. Josie's not answering any of my texts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! 
> 
> I promised you this chapter today, so here it is! Sorry I know I'm posting late at night :/

"Josie's not answering any of my texts."

 

Penelope sighs as she watches her friend pace around her room. Hope had grown a little more worried with every hour that day. The short haired girl had grown fond of seeing Hope happy. Her best friend had gotten so much happier since Josie Saltzman walked into her life. Hope smiled, texted and giggled like a little girl. Penelope didn't say a thing, but she knew deep down that Hope was falling for her fake girlfriend. The problem was that Josie Saltzman hadn't been answering her phone in two days now. Penelope knew something happened on tuesday, she didn't know every detail, just that the brunette had been upset. From what Hope had been willing to share, their night had ended pretty well, with a kiss and all.

 

"Call her." Penelope suggests.

 

"I tried! She's not picking up."

 

Hope is agitated and it irritates Penelope. So the short haired girl stands up and walk to her friend. When she's close enough, Penelope puts both of her hands on Hope's shoulder and stops her pacing.

 

"Then you go see her."

 

"What if she doesn't want to see me." Hope blurts out.

 

As soon as Hope's words leave her mouth, Penelope's eyes widen as she finally understands what's worrying Hope. Her friend was afraid that Josie didn't want anything to do with her anymore. She thought that she was loosing yet another person. Penelope gives Hope her softest smile, the one few people had seen.

 

"What if she just lost her phone?" Penelope says back. "Let's go, I'll drive."

 

Hope follows Penelope silently as they walk to her car. She's nervous, sad and... something else. There's just this feeling of emptiness in her stomach. She kept replaying the last moments she had shared with Josie at the old dock in her head. She was desperatly trying to see what she did wrong, but nothing stood out.

 

"Do you want me to put some music on?" Penelope asks.

 

Hope shakes her head. "I've got it."

 

She only hesitates a second before choosing a song, but when the soft sound of Tom Leeb's guitar fills the car, Hope sighs in contentement. Penelope frowns lightly when she hears the soft tune, Hope wasn't the type to listen to that kind of music usually.

 

"What's that? It's not really your type."

 

"His name is Tom Leeb and... Josie made me listen to him. I love his sound."

 

They stay quiet after that, the ride is filled with soft guitar and worried faces. When Penelope stops the car in front of the Saltzman home, both girls can see lights through the windows. Sometimes, they could even see people walking around through the windows.

 

"Now, the only thing that's left to do is walk to the door and knock." Penelope says, her tone playful.

 

Hope shoots her a glare before she unbuckles her seatbelt and gets out of the car. She walks to the door with confidence, but as soon as she's close enough to knock, her confidence vanishes. She gulps and shakes her head, she had no reason to be so nervous, so she knocks. A couple of seconds later, the door opens. Hope almost run back to the car when she's faced by Alaric.

 

"H-hi Mr. Saltzman."

 

Alaric frowns. "Hope?"

 

"Yeah, uh... I was wondering if I could see Josie. I've been texting and calling her, but she's not answering."

 

"Rick, who is it?" Caroline calls out from another room before Alaric can answer Hope's question.

 

"It's Hope." The Saltzman man answers, his eyes never leaving Hope.

 

Caroline soon appears next to Alaric. Hope feels a little more at ease when she sees Caroline's warm smile.

 

"Hi sweetie, what are you doing here?"

 

"I was-"

 

"She wants to see Josie." Alaric cuts off.

 

Caroline gives Hope an apologetic smile. "I'm not sure that's a good idea. Josie's been sick for two days now. You wouldn't want to catch that, right?"

 

"S-sick? She's been sick." Hope says mostly to herself.

 

"Yes, she caught a cold because of your little swimming adventure." Alaric says with an accusing tone.

 

Hope winces. "Oh, yeah that makes sense."

 

"Is that Hope?" Lizzie says from behind her parents.

 

"Yeah, it's her." Caroline replies.

 

Lizzie walks closer until Hope can finally catch sight of her. The blonde looks annoyed and it almost makes Hope wince again.

 

"You should go say hi to Josie, she's been so whiny about you for the past two days."

 

Hope frowns. "Why didn't she just call or text me?"

 

"We have a no phone rule during moments of sickness." Lizzie says with a shrug. "I don't have mine either."

 

Hope looks at Caroline with pleading eyes. "Please, can I see her?"

 

Caroline chuckles. "Sure, I guess you're the one who'll deal with the consequences after all."

 

Alaric and Caroline both move away from the door to let Hope in, and she gets in faster than she'd like to admit. She briefly sees Josie's father's disaproving eyes, but she decides not to dwell on it. She'd win him over some time later. When Hope's faced with Josie's bedroom door, she knocks on it without waiting. A clear change from the way she hesitated at the front door of her house.

 

"Come in." Comes Josie's hoarse voice.

 

Hope pushes the door open just for her head to get inside the room. When Josie's eyes land on her, they widen from surprise before a big smile makes its way on her face.

 

"Hope! What-" Before she can finish her sentence Josie sneezes. "Sorry, what are you doing here?"

 

"You got me worried. No calls, no texts. I thought... I don't know, I thought you were tired of me."

 

Josie's eyes soften. "I would never do that to you."

 

"I know." Hope sighs before she walks into the room. "How are you feeling?"

 

"My body is aching and it feels like I'm dying." Josie whines.

 

Hope chuckles. "I see your sister is not the only drama queen in this family."

 

"Hey!" Josie protests. "It's your fault that I'm sick."

 

Hope winces. "Yeah, your father made that pretty clear."

 

Josie rolls her eyes. "Don't worry about him. He's a worrier."

 

"He cares too much, just like you."

 

Josie shrugs. "Maybe." A pause. "Are you gonna stay standing by the door?"

 

Hope blushes and stutters."W-what? No! I'll- I'll just..."

 

Josie starts to chuckle at how cute Hope is when she's embarrassed, but she's quickly cut off a fit of cough. Hope frowns in worry and in a heartbeat she's by Josie's side. With a little bit of hesitation, Hope raises a hand and places it on Josie's back. She starts rubbing circles onto it, hoping it would make Josie feel a little better. After a couple of seconds, Josie stops coughing and looks at Hope with a little smile.

 

"Thank you." She says with a shy smile.

 

"Uh, you're welcome." Hope clears her throat and takes her hand off of Josie's back. "Do you want some water, or maybe medecine?"

 

"Water would be nice, thank you."

 

Hope quickly spots the glass on Josie's nightstand and moves to the bathroom to fill it with water. She waits until it's cold enough to fill it and quickly goes back to Josie's side. As the younger girl drinks, Hope takes a moment to look at her. Josie mainly looks tired. She has bags under her eyes, and her hair is a mess. Hope thinks back to when her hand was on Josie's back and remembers how hot she was.

 

"Are you sure you don't need medecine? You're pretty hot right now."

 

"Thanks for the compliment Hope." Josie says with a giggle.

 

It takes Hope a couple of seconds to understands what Josie just said, but when she does, Hope turns beet red.

 

"Okay, smart ass." Hope replies with a playful smile. "Seriously Jo, do you want something to bring the fever down?"

 

"I'm okay, I took something just before you got here. We just need to wait until it starts to work." Josie reaches for Hope's hand and starts playing with her fingers. "There's something I'd like though."

 

"Name it and you'll have it." Hope answers, her eyes following their fingers.

 

"Cuddle with me?"

 

Hope's eyes snap up and meet Josie's. The older girl isn't sure of what she sees in Josie's eyes. Whatever it is, it makes Hope's heart do a little jump. Hope gulps and looks back at their hands.

 

"I'll get sick, but sure."

 

Josie's smile gets bigger and she scoots to the other side of the bed to let Hope get into the bed. The auburn haired girl settles quickly under the covers, and lets Josie settle into her side. When the brunette seems comfortable enough, Hope slips her arm under her head and over her shoulder bringing Josie closer to her in the process. Josie sighs in contentement as she buries her head in the crook of Hope's neck. The sigh causes a shiver to run down Hope's spine, and luckily for the older girl Josie doesn't comment on it. They don't say a thing for a long moment, each girl enjoying the other's presence.

 

When Hope's phone notices her that she received a text, she gets it out of her pocket and quickly reads the message.

 

From Penelope :

 

_U okay?_

 

"Shit." Hope whispers.

 

"Is everything okay Hope?" Josie quickly says after moving a little bit away from Hope.

 

"Yeah, don't worry. I just forgot that Penelope is waiting for me in the car."

 

Hope doesn't miss how Josie's face falls when she hears her words, but the brunette quickly smiles to mask it.

 

"Oh, then you should go. Wouldn't want to make her wait any longer."

 

"No!" Hope says. "I mean unless you want me to go."

 

"What? Why would I want you to go?"

 

"I... Look, I'll just tell her to go back home. Later, I'll ask my aunt Freya to pick me up."

 

"Okay." Josie says with a much more genuine smile.

 

From Hope:

 

_Everything okay. Go home, i ll explain tomorrow_

 

From Penelope:

 

_Fine. Be safe ;)_

 

Hope rolls her eyes and puts her phone back in her pocket. When she looks back at Josie, Hope sees that the younger girl is watching her curiously.

 

"Is something wrong?" Hope asks.

 

"No, nothing's wrong." Josie says. "I was just wondering, how long have you been friends with Penelope?"

 

"Since middle school, why?"

 

"You two seem close."

 

Hope shrugs. "She was there for me through the worst parts of my life. I just wish I'll be able to do the same for her one day. Not that I wish her to live some serious shit-"

 

"Hope, stop. I get it." Josie says with a chuckle. "I'm kinda tired, do you mind if I just put something on Netflix? I don't really feel like talking. My throat is so painful."

 

"Of course I don't mind." Hope replies.

 

Josie opens her TV and quickly opens Netflix. Then she goes on her list and puts a movie on, Hope doesn't know what it's about, but she doesn't really care. When Josie's done with the TV, Hope gently pulls her close and the younger girl settles back into Hope's side with no resistance. They stay that way for the whole movie. Sometime during the movie, Hope starts to gently run her fingers through Josie's hair. Josie's quick to manifest her enjoyement with a deep sigh, then she nuzzles her face into Hope's neck and closes her eyes. A couple of minutes later, Hope hears soft snores coming from her fake girlfriend. She wonders if she should just go, but soon decides otherwise. She felt so warm, comfortable and just overall happy in this moment. So Hope waits, she waits until the movie is over. When the credits roll, she knows she has to go. She's careful to not wake Josie up as she untangles herself from the younger girl. Josie doesn't wake up, but she frowns slightly in her sleep. Hope moves some hair out of the brunette's face, and takes the time to bring the covers up to Josie's chin. Then, she moves to Josie's desk and takes a pen and a piece of paper. She quickly writes Josie a note and places it on her pillow.

 

_Hey Jo, you fell asleep during the movie and I decided to let you sleep. Take care of you, okay? I'll come back tomorrow to check up on you._

 

_Love, Hope._

 

*****

 

"Hope, sweetie what are you doing?"

 

Hope stops her movements. She looks at Freya who is standing in the doorway of the kitchen with her eyes open wide. It's only then that Hope looks around and realises the mess she made in the kitchen.

 

"I, uh, well I was trying to make soup."

 

"Hope, you never even tried to cook before. Why are you trying to make soup?"

 

"Well, Josie's sick and I thought I could bring her some of mom's soup. You know, the one she used to make me whenever I had a cold. I found the recipe, but I'm a total disaster in the kitchen."

 

Freya fondly smiles at her niece and walks into the kitchen. She shakes her head as she takes the kitchen in.

 

"Wash the dishes you've already used. I'll finish the soup."

 

"Really? Thank you Aunt Freya!" Hope says with a big smile.

 

The young Mikaelson moves to the sink and starts washing the dishes quickly. Freya starts to work on the soup, but she keeps an eye on Hope every now and then.

 

"Rebekah and Kol are supposed to come for family dinner next week." Freya brings up.

 

"Uh, yeah I know." Hope says with a little frown, wondering where Freya was going to take that conversation.

 

"I was thinking that it would be nice if Josie could join us."

 

Hope immediately stops what she's doing. "You told Auntie Bex."

 

"Oh don't give me that glare little one!" Freya warns. "You know how Rebekah can be. She pratically found out on her own."

 

Hope shakes her head. "No. Josie and I... we just started dating. A whole meal with the Mikaelson family and she'll be running away."

 

Freya sighs. "Hope..."

 

"I said no." Hope says firmly.

 

"Fine! You'll deal with Rebekah though."

 

Freya and Hope look at each other and both start to laugh at the idea of how frustrated Rebekah would be to not meet Josie. Then they fall silent again, and Freya keeps stealing glances at Hope.

 

"You look a lot lighter than you used to. Josie seems to be good to you." Freya comments.

 

"Uh, yeah." Hope blurts out. "She's amazing."

 

When Hope finishes the dishes, Freya puts the final touch to the soup. She tells Hope it would be ready in about ten minutes and leaves her niece to watch over the soup. After the ten minutes, not a second later, Hope takes the soup off of the oven. She quickly puts it in a container, before getting out of the house. She carefully places the soup on the passenger seat of the car, and make sure it wouldn't move. The drive to Josie's house is quick, and Hope is soon at Josie's door. This time, she doesn't hesitate before knocking.

 

Caroline opens the door and widely smiles at Hope. "Hope! You're back."

 

"Yeah, I hope that's okay."

 

"Of course. Josie's a little better today. The fever came down last night."

 

"Oh, that's good. I'm really glad that she's getting better."

 

"What do you have there?"

 

Hope looks down at the container in her hands. "Oh, it's... well, it's the soup my mother used to make me when I was sick."

 

Caroline smiles. "She made some for Josie, that's really nice of her."

 

"I made it with my aunt Freya. My mother is... I mean, my parents both died two years ago." Hope says, her eyes not meeting Caroline's.

 

"Oh, sweetheart... I'm so sorry for your loss." Caroline says before pulling Hope in a tight embrace.

 

Caroline's hug reminds Hope of Josie's, and the young girl convinces herself that it's why she lets the older woman hug her. Hope refuses to let the tears that were burning her eyes fall. So, she quickly wipes her eyes when she pulls away from Caroline.

 

"Could I go upstairs?"

 

"Sure sweetheart." Caroline says with a small smile.

 

Hope gives Caroline a final smile before going upstairs. There, she founds Josie's bedroom door half open. Hope still knocks on the door and Josie's soft voice tells her to come in. When Hope steps into the room, she's happy to see that Josie looks a lot better than the day before. The brunette is sitting at her desk and she seems to be working on some homework.

 

"Hope! You actually came back." Josie says with a blinding smile.

 

"I said I would, didn't I?"

 

Josie nods. "The note was sweet, thank you."

 

Hope smiles. "Are you hungry?"

 

"Hungry?" Josie is confused, but then her eyes fall on the container in Hope's hands. "What's that?"

 

"My mother's special soup." Hope says with a sheepish smile. "She used to make it for me everytime I had a cold. She said it was magic, and I used to believe her."

 

Josie's eyes soften with every words Hope speaks. Getting Hope to open up was a little hard a times, but Josie knew she just had to wait. Hope was slowly opening up on her own terms.

 

"Sounds wonderful." Josie says as she stands up. "Let me get two bowls and spoons."

 

"Oh no, it's for you." Hope says immediately.

 

"We can share." Josie says.

 

When Josie walks by Hope, she lightly squeezes her arm, just to show Hope she knows how important that little thing is. When Josie gets into the kitchen, Caroline is there making dinner for the family with Alaric. Josie's mother watches her with soft eyes as Josie gets what she needs.

 

"What's going on?" Alaric asks.

 

"Hope brought me soup." Josie simply says.

 

"We're making dinner." He protests.

 

"Rick, let them eat the soup." Caroline says.

 

With the tone of her mother's voice, Josie knows that she knows about Hope's mother's soup. Josie smiles at her mother and walks back to her room, bowls and spoons in hands. When she gets into her room, Hope is still standing in the same spot as five minutes ago. Josie chuckles and shakes her head.

 

"You can take a seat Hope. Just take Lizzie's chair and sit with me at the desk."

 

Josie sits down, and Hope follows her instructions. Soon enough, Josie is separating the soup in two bowls and handing one of them to Hope. The older girl waits until Josie starts eating to eat. As soon as Josie eats her first spooful, she closes her eyes and hums in approval.

 

"This is so good." Josie tells Hope before diving into the soup again.

 

"I know, right?" Hope simply answers.

 

After a couple of minutes, Josie watches as Hope finishes her bowl. She watches her friend with a fond smile, but she soons gets caught.

 

"Do I have something on my face?"

 

"No."

 

"Then why are you staring."

 

"I, uh... I was just thinking that it was really sweet of you to bring me soup. Thank you."

 

"Oh, you're welcome." Hope says with a smile.

 

She's about to say something else, but her phone starts to make a loud sound. Hope quickly gets it out of her pocket. When she realises why her phone is being so loud, she curses under her breath.

 

"I have to go."

 

"Now? But you've been here for like ten minutes." Josie says, not even trying to hide her pout.

 

"I know, I'm sorry. I have to get some sleep because we have an early morning practice tomorrow." Hope says with an apologetic smile.

 

Josie groans. "Right, volleyball."

 

"I'll make it up to you. Do you want to make plans for the afternoon tomorrow?"

 

"I can't, we're having family time with my parents friends."

 

Hope frowns. "Family time is with family usually, right?"

 

Josie chuckles. "I know, but my parents friends are basically family."

 

"Oh okay." Hope bites her lip. "Then you call me whenever you're free. You'll have your phone soon, right?"

 

"I should get it back tomorrow."

 

"Okay. Call me, or text."

 

Josie smiles. "Sure. Let me walk you to the door."

 

"No need, go get some rest." Hope says before standing up.

 

Hope hesitates a second before bending down a leaving a soft kiss on Josie's forehead. She notices the faint blush covering the brunette's cheeks, but decides to keep her mouth shut. After all, she knew she was probably a little red too.

 

"Good night Josie."

 

" 'Night Hope."

 

Hope walks out of the door and Josie follows her movements. She sighs and closes her eyes. She could almost still feel Hope's lips on her forehead. Josie decides that she absolutely likes this side of the older girl, caring and soft. A soft knock on her door brings Josie out of her thoughts. She opens her eyes and find Caroline looking at her.

 

"It was really sweet of her to bring you some soup."

 

"Yeah."

 

"I didn't know about her parents."

 

"It was not my place to tell."

 

"You two are good for each other, it's obvious." Caroline says.

 

Josie looks at her mother and feels a bit of sadness take her over. It was painful to remember that Hope wasn't really hers. Hope was being a good friend nothing more. Josie knows her feelings are getting out of hand, and she wonders what to do about it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you like it? 
> 
> Was it fluffy enough?


	9. wasn't she dating that weird hipster boy?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! 
> 
> Thank you so much for all your amazing comments, I really appreciate every one of you. 
> 
> I hope you'll like this chapter!

As Josie puts the final touch to her history homework, she wonders what Hope is up to. She had to admit that her mind had a tendency to drift to her fake girlfriend a lot more lately. After Hope had taken care of her during her cold, Josie grew even more fond of the auburn haired girl. Deep down, she knows her feelings run deeper than friendship, but the selfish part of her refuses to let go of Hope. A couple of days after her cold, Josie confided in MG. She poured her heart out to her best friend and told him everything she was feeling. He listened and gave some advice (like talking to Hope, but Josie decided that was a very bad idea).

 

Lizzie walks into their shared room, and Josie quickly turns to her sister. Lizzie had slept over at MG's home last night and Josie was happy to see her again. However, as soon as Josie sees her twin's face, she knows Lizzie is pissed.

 

"Hey Liz, what's up?"

 

Lizzie scoffs. "Oh, apart from the fact that my own twin doesn't trust me, nothing much."

 

Josie's face drops. "What do you mean?"

 

"Don't fucking play dumb! You told MG you have _real_ feelings for Hope, but you didn't tell me." Lizzie walks closer to Josie and she's fuming. "I mean, what the fuck Jo? I tell you everything!"

 

"L-Lizzie, calm down. I trust you, I swear-"

 

Lizzie gives a humorless laugh. "Yeah, right!" Lizzie shakes her head and gives Josie a mean smile. "Hope is never gonna fall in love with you! She's straight for god's sake. No wonder Nia broke your heart so easily, you're such a fool."

 

After her last words, Lizzie turns around and grabs the bag she set down on her bed when she came in earlier. Without a single glance back at Josie, Lizzie walks out of their room. Josie's cheeks are covered in tears and she has a hard time believing everything that just happened really happened. MG's betrayal and Lizzie's cruel words were a lot to take in. Soon enough, Caroline walks into the room and pulls Josie in a tight embrace.

 

"It'll be alright sweetie, you know how Lizzie can be. Don't hold it against her."

 

"How can you defend her? You don't even know what she said." Josie speaks through her tears. "Sh-She was so mean mom."

 

"Oh Josie, I'm so sorry her words hurt you." Caroline rubs Josie's back in the hopes it'll comfort her daughter. "Is there anything I could do?"

 

Josie shakes her head. "No. I- I'm gonna go."

 

"Go where sweetie?"

 

"To Hope's."

 

*****

 

Hope laughs as her uncle Kol tells one of his famous jokes. When she's done laughing, she tunes out of the conversations for a moment. She takes that time to look at what is remaining of her family. She feels lucky to have them all here with her, lucky that they care about her and love her. Her eyes fall on Freya and Keelin first, her guardian angels. Then, she moves her eyes to Rebekah and Marcel, her protectors. Finally, she looks over to Kol and Davina, the reason she was still able to laugh after all she's been through. When her eyes and Rebekah's lock together, the older woman looks a bit worried, but before she has the time to ask anything to Hope, the doorbell rings. Freya frowns and look at her niece.

 

"Are you waiting for someone?" Freya asks.

 

Hope shakes her head. "No. I'll answer the door."

 

When Hope opens the door her eyes widen immediately. She comes face to face with a crying Josie. The brunette looks so upset that Hope doesn't even hesitate before stepping forward and pulling her in a tight hug.

 

"Josie, what's wrong?" Hope speaks softly near Josie's ear.

 

Instead of replying, Josie just starts to sob and buries her head into Hope's neck. The air is cold, and Josie's not wearing a jacket.Hope looks around and realises that Josie's car is nowhere to be seen, so she must have walked all the way to Hope's house. Hope pulls Josie into the house and pulls away from the taller girl. She rubs Josie's arms to try and warm her friend up. When her eyes go back to Josie's face, Hope's heart break a little. It was very obvious Josie had been crying for a long time.

 

"Hope, who was-" Freya cuts herself off as her eyes fall on Josie. "Oh sweetheart, what happened?"

 

Hope decides to speak on Josie's behalf. "Can you please excuse me to everyone? I have to take care of her."

 

Before Freya has the chance to agree, Josie's eyes widen. "Oh no, it's your family dinner. I'm so sorry, I'm gonna go. I didn't think and-"

 

Hope turns to Josie and walks close to her. She places both of her hands on the taller girl's cheeks and gently carress them with her thumbs.

 

"Don't you dare apologize or think that you're going anywhere." Hope says as she looks Josie in the eyes. "How about you go up to my room while I go talk to my family? I'll join you in a minute."

 

Josie's about to protests, but Hope's expression tells her she won't win this argument. So she just nods and move to go upstairs.

 

"Josie, take one of my hoodies. They're in the closet, you can't miss them."

 

Hope's thoughtful words brings a small smile to Josie's face and she nods again before continuing to go upstairs. Hope watches Josie until she's completely out of sight, and when she is, the auburn haired girl lets out a sigh.

 

"What's wrong?" Freya asks again.

 

"I have no idea." Hope says as she shakes her head. "But it must be bad. Did you see her? She looked so upset."

 

Freya nods. "Come on, let's tell everyone what's happening."

 

Hope follows her aunt's footsteps until they're both standing in the dinner room. Everyone looks at them with curious faces. Hope doesn't miss Rebekah's worried expression, and it rushes her to explain herself.

 

"Josie's here and she's very upset. I'm so sorry everyone but I'll have to leave you for now."

 

"Who's Josie?" Kol asks confused.

 

"Hope's girlfriend." Rebekah says.

 

Kol's frown deepens. "Wasn't she dating that weird hipster boy? Honey, what was his name again?"

 

Davina chuckles and shakes her head. "Landon, my love."

 

Hope feels her stomach sink as they talk of her past relationship. She wasn't feeling like explaining what happened between Landon and her. Hope balls her hands into fists as she tries to calm herself down, an action that Freya immediately noticed. It was always the way Hope managed to calm her emotions.

 

"Okay, sweetie." Freya says softly as she puts a hand on Hope's shoulder. "Josie's waiting upstairs, remember?"

 

When Josie's name is mentionned, Hope seems to immediately relax. Her hands slacken and she looks up at her aunt suddenly remembering what was actually happening.

 

"I...uh, yeah." Hope shakes her head, trying to regain her thoughts. "I'm not good with crying people aunt Freya. What should I do?"

 

"Are you really asking a Mikaelson what to do with a crying person?" Keelin asks with a smirk. "Honey, your aunt Freya awkwardly patted my back the first time I cried in front of her."

 

"Hey! We had been dating for like a week, that's so unfair." Freya protests.

 

Keelin laughs. "Just be there for her Hope. Listen to her if she needs to talk, hold her if she needs comfort, talk to her if she needs a distraction. I'm sure you'll figure it out"

 

Hope listens to what Keelin tells her with attention, and when the older woman is done, Hope nods with determination.

 

"Thank you Keelin! I'll see you guys later." Hope quickly walks out of the room only to get right back in a second later. "Save some food for us!"

 

When Hope is out of the room, and out of ear shot, Rebekah raises a brow and stands up. She walks to Freya and looks her straight in the eyes.

 

"I need an explanation, so spill."

 

Freya sighs. "We actually don't know much. A little over two months ago, we came home and Hope was crying on her bed in Penelope's arms. We think that's when her break up with Landon happened. Then we had no news about her love life for a while. Two weeks ago, Hope didn't come home after school. We waited, but she didn't call. We texted her, called her, called everyone including all of you. No one knew where she was and she wasn't answering. She came home around nine, soaking wet. That's when she told us about Josie."

 

Rebekah nods and seems to be lost in thoughts for a moment. "Okay, and what is going on right now?"

 

"We have no idea. Josie seemed very upset though." Freya answers.

 

"Hope seems to care about her a lot." Kol speaks up.

 

"Yeah, I really think she does." Freya agrees.

 

*****

 

Hope feels a little anxious as she walks to her bedroom. A ton of questions were running through her mind, but she was so afraid of asking any of them. The door of her room wasn't closed, but it was barely open. Hope could hear Josie's sniffles through the door, and it made it clear the younger girl was trying to stop her crying. Hope opens the door a little wider, just wide enough to get inside and then she completely closes it. Josie is sitting on the edge of Hope's bed. She's wearing one of Hope's sweater, and her head is down. Hope sits down next to her friend. She waits for Josie to say something, but the brunette stays silent. Hope watches as Josie plays with her hoodie's sleeves, and even though Josie knows Hope is watching her, she never meets her eyes. After a while, Hope reaches and takes Josie's right hand into hers.

 

"Do you wanna talk about what's upsetting you?"

 

Josie shakes her head. "Not really."

 

"Okay." Hope softly says. "That's okay. Do you need something? Like a hug or a-"

 

Josie cuts her off. "I'm fine. You should get back to your family and I should get home. I'm sorry I bothered you."

 

Josie makes a move to stand up, but Hope uses the hold she has on the brunette's hand to bring her back down.

 

"No, please stay." Hope says. "I'm worried about you."

 

Josie finally looks up at Hope. When their eyes meet, Josie can see that Hope's eyes do carry a lot of worry. As for Hope, she sees just how much Josie's hurt.

 

"Whatever happened, I'm sure it can be fixed." Hope tries.

 

Josie shakes her head. "I'm not sure."

 

"Is it- is it about Nia? Cause if you wanna get back with her, it's fine, I get it. We can break up and even explain everything to her."

 

Josie frowns and shakes her head. "No, it has nothing to do with Nia."

 

"Oh, okay."

 

"I had a fight with Lizzie." Josie drops, looking back at the ground. "I told something very... personal to MG. He betrayed my trust and told my sister. She made a whole scene about it and said some mean things. Then my mom took Lizzie's side, of course! I just got out of my house after that, I couldn't bear to be there anymore." Josie looks up and meet Hope's eyes. "I came here because I- I wanted someone to be on my side for once."

 

Hope looks right into Josie's chocolate brown eyes and she suddenly realises how protective she feels of Josie. Hope had been trying so hard to like Lizzie Saltzman, and now she felt like she had been trying for nothing. How could she like someone who could hurt a beautiful person like Josie Saltzman? How could Josie's own sister could treat her like dirt?

 

Hope bumps Josie's shoulder with her own. "Hey... if that means anything, I'll always be on your side."

 

Josie slowly lets a smile grow on her face. She shakes her head and looks down at her hands. She's playing with her sleeves, just like she had been earlier.

 

"Thanks Hope, I- I needed to hear that."

 

Hope smiles, but doesn't say anything. They both stay silent for a while, and when Hope can't take it anymore, she reaches for Josie's hand and laces their fingers together.

 

"Let me take your mind off of what happened."

 

Josie chuckles. "How?"

 

"I have something to show you."

 

Hope gets up from the bed and Josie closely follows. Their fingers are still laced together as they walk through the halls of Mikaelson house, and Hope even tightens her grip a little, just to make sure Josie knows she's there. The auburn haired girl watches the younger girl as she looks around with curious eyes. She doesn't even care about the fact that Josie could catch her, there was something a little too magnetic about Josie. Maybe it was her warm brown eyes, or her even warmer smile. Hope wasn't sure yet. The only thing she was sure of, was that having Josie Saltzman in her life was amazing.

 

When they get to the room Hope wanted to show Josie, Hope stops and turn to be face to face with Josie. Hope tries to be as serious as she can be before she speaks up.

 

"Few people have entered into this room. It's only been my family and Penelope broke in once." Hope says with a chuckle. "I trust you with this, and I really want to share this with you."

 

"You're making me nervous."

 

"Shit, I didn't mean to-"

 

Josie giggles. "Stop it and show me already!"

 

Hope opens the door and walk in, still holding Josie's hand in hers. It takes her a moment to gather the courage to look at the younger girl, but when she does it makes her stomach flutter. Josie's sad face was long gone. Wonder was filling her eyes as she looks around the room. Her mouth is open, almost as if she doesn't believe what she's seeing.

 

"Welcome to my art studio." Hope softly says.

 

"Hope! This is just so beautiful." Josie says, and it sounds like she's out of breath. "Can I get closer to some of the pieces?"

 

"Of course, do whatever you want."

 

Josie immediately walks to the right side of the room, and it makes Hope smile. The sunset that Josie seems drawn to had been one of Hope's favorite for a very long time. Hope leans on the wall and let her eyes follow Josie around the room. Josie goes from the sunset to a set of paintings Hope did in Paris when she was around twelve, and then she moves to a rough painting of the lake where the old dock was located. Hope clearly remembers when she painted that one, she was seven and it was the first time she actually painted with her father. Hope looses Josie after that, too lost in her memories to follow the brunette.

 

"Hope, is that your family?" Josie says, pulling Hope out of her head.

 

Hope quickly gives Josie all her attention and walks closer to her. She feels a little pang of sadness when her eyes fall on the faces of her parents, but she still smiles.

 

"Yeah." Hope points to a short haired blonde woman. "That's Freya, you met her earlier. Beside her is her wife, Keelin. They are my guardians. The other blonde woman here, is Rebekah. Marcel, here, is her boyfriend. We're really close." Hope's finger moves to a man dressed in a suit. "That is my uncle Elijah. I didn't know him that much, but he was all about keeping our family together. He died when I was young. Here is my uncle Kol and his wife Davina, they live in Canada, so I don't see them much, but Kol's really funny. Finally, this is my father, his name was Niklaus. Beside him is my mother, Hayley. They were my whole world."

 

Josie reaches for Hope's hand and squeezes it. "You have a beautiful family."

 

"Thank you." Hope takes a deep breath. "Are you hungry?"

 

"Uh, kind of. I didn't have dinner before coming here."

 

"Okay, wait for me here, I'll go get us some food from the kitchen."

 

Josie gives Hope a grateful smile. "Thank you."

 

Hope smiles back at Josie and walks out of the room. She jogs down the stairs and goes straight to the kitchen. There, she finds her aunt Freya and her aunt Rebekah putting the final touch to the dinner. The two women are speaking in hushed voice, and it makes Hope roll her eyes. Of course they were gossiping about her relationship.

 

Hope clears her throat. "Sorry to interrupt, but I'm just here to get some food. We're starving."

 

"Oh, of course honey. I'll put together two plates for you." Freya says with a smile.

 

"Why don't you two have dinner with us?" Rebekah asks.

 

Hope winces. "Uh, Josie's not really okay right now. I don't think it would help her to meet our family."

 

"Is she better than earlier?" Freya asks with worried frown.

 

Hope shrugs. "A little, I guess. She's not crying anymore, but she's still upset."

 

"Well, at least you're making progress." Freya says.

 

"Yeah, I just wished she hadn't been hurt at all."

 

"You can protect her from everything that could hurt her, but you can be there when it happens." Rebekah says with a kind smile.

 

Hope nods. "Yeah, I guess that's what I'll do."

 

"Anyway, when do we officialy meet her?"

 

"I don't know. Aunt Freya, could she stay over for the night? She got into a fight with her sister and I don't think she wants to be home right now."

 

Freya is taken aback for a second. She looks at Rebekah who looks as lost as her sister. It looks like the women are having a silent conversation, and it only makes Hope roll her eyes.

 

"Come on! I'll leave the door open and you can come check on us whenever you feel like it."

 

"Yeah, okay. We're good with that, right Rebekah?"

 

"I guess." Rebekah says, looking very unsure.

 

"Thank you! Now can I get some food?"

 

"Oh! Yes, I'll make your plates."

 

Freya quickly puts together two plates full of food. Hope thanks them and quickly gets out of the kitchen under the worried eyes of her aunts. She walks upstairs a little slower than when she when downstairs, careful to not let anything fall. When she walks into her art studio, she's glad to see that Josie made herself comfortable on the windowsill. It suddenly makes Hope glad that she designed that little space to be comfortable and useful. When Josie hears Hope come inside the room, she looks at her and smiles, a smile that Hope immediately reciprocate.

 

"Here's dinner my lady." Hope says with her best attempt at an accent.

 

It has the beautiful effect of making Josie laugh, and it's more than enough to make Hope join in.

 

"Does that make you my knight in shining armor?" Josie teases.

 

"Sure." Hope shrugs. "Always there to protect you and fill your stomach with delicious food."

 

Josie's smile soften. "Thank you Hope."

 

"You don't have to thank me. I know you'd do the same for me."

 

Josie shakes her head with a smile. "Still."

 

"Forget it, okay?" Hope says as she hands Josie her plate. "Eat while it's still hot."

 

Hope and Josie eat together and chat a little. Josie tells Hope how stressed she feels about the winter show coming up. Hope tells Josie about how her volleyball season is going great and that's she's happy about it. It takes them a moment to fall into a comfortable silence, but when they do, it gives Hope some time to glance at Josie. It's clear to see the younger girl is deep in thoughts, and that she's getting a little sad again.

 

"Hey Jo, can I ask you a question?"

 

Josie frowns and smiles. "Sure."

 

"Is Josie short for something else?"

 

"Oh! Yes, actually my full name is Josette. It was my biological mother's name."

 

Hope frowns in confusion. "What? Caroline is not your biological mom."

 

"No. My mother died giving birth to Lizzie and I. Caroline was our father's close friend and she jumped in when he needed it the most. In the process they fell in love. She's basically the only mom we've ever known."

 

"Wow, that's amazing."

 

"Yeah, we're really lucky to have Caroline."

 

Hope nods. "Okay, I have another question, but you don't have to answer it. Why did you sign up to be a stand-in?" Josie's eyes widen, so Hope is quick to add. "Like I said, you don't have to answer. You know what? Forget I even asked."

 

"No! It's fine. Uh, my car broke down this summer. It was really expensive to get it repaired, and all the money I saved went into that. I planned a whole trip to California for next summer, and the reparation kind of destroyed it. If I didn't go, then neither would MG and Lizzie, so they found the app and strongly suggested that I should sign up."

 

Hope laughs and shakes her head. "I should have known it wasn't your idea."

 

"Why?"

 

"Well... you don't seem like the type of girl who would do that kind of thing. You're good at it though."

 

Josie chuckles. "This is so weird, right? Fake dating someone, I mean."

 

"Kind of, yeah." Hope agrees with a smile. "I'm glad to do it with you though."

 

"Yeah, me too."

 

They share a last smile before Hope gets up again and gathers both of their plate to take them downstairs. Before going out of the room, Hope tells Josie that she can stay over if she wants to. Josie smiles widely and tells Hope she'll call her parents to ask if it's okay. Hope takes their plates to the kitchen and quickly gets back to the art room. As soon as she gets to the door, she understands that Josie is still on the phone. She tries not to eavesdrop, but it's way too tempting.

 

"No, I'm not coming back home." A pause. "I don't wanna talk to Lizzie tonight mom! It's not always my responsability to make Lizzie feel better when she does something shitty. I need a break from that." Another pause. "I guess, yeah. I'll ask Hope."

 

When she hears her name, Hope decides it's a good time to walk inside the room.

 

"She's here, wait a minute." Josie says into the phone. "Hey, my mom wants to talk to your aunt, would that be okay?"

 

"Sure, you can come downstairs with me."

 

They walk downstairs side by side, with Josie still on the phone with her mother. Hope guides Josie to the dinning room, where her family is still sitting around the table and having dinner. Everyone stop their movements when the girls appear in the doorway of the room. Josie feels every curious glance sent her way, and she tries not to feel uncomfortable.

 

"Aunt Freya, Josie's mom would like to speak with you." Hope says.

 

"Oh, of course." Freya quickly stands and walks closer to Josie.

 

Josie hands Freya her phone and whispers her thank you. She gets a smile and a wink from the woman as she walks out of the room to talk with Caroline.

 

"Are you gonna introduce us Hope?" Kol teases.

 

"Kol, leave them alone." Marcel gently warns.

 

Josie reaches for Hope's hand, and it's all it takes the auburn haired girl to know Josie's okay with what is happening.

 

"Everyone, this is Josie, my girlfriend." Hope decides to tease Josie a little. "Josie, I've already told you everyone's names. Care to show me if you were listening?"

 

Josie narrows her eyes, and decides to take the challenge.

 

"Sure!" She looks around and her eyes land on Kol. "Well, we've already established that this is Kol, and by his side is Davina." Kol smirks and nods. "Facing Kol is Marcel, and on his right side is your aunt Rebekah, right?" Hope smiles and nods. "Finally, the woman sitting alone is Keelin, your aunt Freya's wife." Josie shrugs. "Easy enough."

 

Everyone at the table looks impressed, and it makes Hope chuckle.

 

"I showed her the painting I did of our family and told her all of your names."

 

A look of understanding crosses every faces in the room. Josie giggles and squeezes Hope's hand.

 

"So, can we talk to her, or is she still under your protection for the night?" Rebekah asks.

 

"Uh, how about you talk to her tomorrow at breakfast?" Hope tries with a smile.

 

Rebekah rolls her eyes. "Sure."

 

A little after that, Freya walks back into the room and hands her phone back to Josie. Josie walks into the hall to finish her call with her mother, and Hope quickly says goodnight to her family before joining Josie.

 

"Thanks mom." A pause. "I love you too, good night. Tell dad I love him, bye." Josie hangs up.

 

"Is everything okay?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"Good! Now, I thought we could go back to my room, change ourselves into some Pjs and watch a movie on Netflix, how does that sounds?"

 

"Amazing, but does it include some cuddling too?" Josie asks with a little smile.

 

Hope playfully rolls her eyes. "Of course it does."

 

They quickly walks upstairs to Hope's room. Hope finds something for Josie to wear and takes her own Pjs out. The older girl leaves Josie into her room and goes to the bathroom to change herself. When she's done, she walks back to her room and knocks on the door.

 

"You can come in!" Josie calls from the other side of the door.

 

Hope opens the door and her eyes fall on Josie. Hope's biggest volleyball shirt fits Josie like it was made for her, and her nightshort are just long enough.

 

"Are you comfortable in the clothes I gave you? Cause I'm sure I can find something else."

 

"They're fine, thank you."

 

"Good. Let's get comfortable then, right?"

 

"Yeah."

 

They both walk to the bed, and Hope tells Josie to get under the covers. The older girl turns her nightstand lamp on before shutting her room's light off. Hope walks back to her bed and slips under the covers too. Her bed is big enough that if they wanted to, Hope and Josie wouldn't have to touch. However, as soon as Hope is under the covers, Josie moves closer to Hope. She leans into Hope's side and lays her head on Hope's shoulder. Their hands find their way to each other and soon enough their fingers are laced together. Josie sighs in contentement, and the air makes goosebumps appear on Hope's arms. Hope swallows and squeezes Josie's hand.

 

"What do you wanna watch?"

 

"Can we watch 'To all the boys I loved before'? I really love this movie."

 

"Yeah, let's watch it."

 

They watch the movie silently. At one point, Hope starts to hear Josie's soft snores. It makes her giggle a little, but it's mostly out of fondness. She closes her TV and lets herself sink onto the bed, taking Josie with her. She hoped to not wake Josie up, but she doesn't manage to. Josie opens her eyes and looks a little lost as they are facing each other.

 

"Hey, you fell asleep during the movie. Let's just get back to sleep, okay?"

 

Josie nods, and gets even more closer to Hope, burying her face between Hope's neck and her collarbone. As Hope tightens her hold on Josie and lets herself bury her nose in Josie's brown locks, she tells herself she seriously needs to have a conversation with Penelope. Maybe she wasn't that straight after all.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again... A little sad and a little fluffy!
> 
> Next chapter there'll be a little more interaction between Josie and the Mikaelson family, I promise! At least she met them right?


	10. there's too many Ms. Mikaelson in this room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!!
> 
> I'm so sorry for the long wait :( 
> 
> Please don't be mad at me ?
> 
> Hope you'll enjoy this one!

Josie slowly opens her eyes only to close them again. She's still so sleepy, and the warmth that's all around her makes it very hard to just wake up. It takes her a moment to remember why she feels so warm, but when she feels a delicate hand slip under her shirt, Josie remembers exactly where she is. Her eyes open and she quickly realises that she's in Hope's arms, with her own head resting on the older girl's chest. Hope's hand doesn't really move after it went under Josie's shirt, her palm only rests on Josie's skin. It does have the effect of making Josie shiver though. It doesn't take Josie long to realise Hope is still deeply sleeping. Her eyes are closed, her breathing slow and even. For a moment, Josie feels guilty. She feels guilty because her feelings for Hope go way deeper than friendship. Because Hope's touch makes her shiver. Because Hope's eyes have the effect of breaking every barrier Josie has been building after what happened with Nia. Josie wonders if she should just listen to her sister, if she should just stop all of this before she gets her heart crushed again. However, when Hope tightens her hold on Josie and buries her nose into her brown locks, Josie feels her heart flutter and she knows she can't do anything about it. She's already a goner. So Josie does the only thing she can think of : she lets Hope hold her and nuzzles her face into her neck. She had already fallen, it would hurt anyway. She could still enjoy it while it lasts. Josie closes her eyes again and decides to let herself fall back to sleep.

 

Josie's almost asleep when she hears the voices of Hope's aunts. She discretely opens an eye and immediately sees Rebekeh, Freya and Keelin standing by Hope's door. Josie quickly shuts her eyes again, afraid one of them would spot her.

 

"She looks pretty happy, if you ask me." Keelin says.

 

"Keelin's right, Hope hasn't been this free since... you know." Freya adds.

 

"Something just doesn't add up. Two months ago she was in love with Landon, he breaks her heart, and she immediately bounces back and dates a girl? I mean, did they even know each other before?" Rebekah argues. She sighs before speaking again. "It's just kinda suspicious. I don't want some random person taking advantage of Hope. She's been hurt enough for an entire lifetime."

 

From her spot in Hope's arms, Josie is breathing with difficulty. Shit, they were in trouble. If Hope's family wasn't really buying their story, than maybe they weren't credible. Josie tries to think of the best thing to do. Making a quick exit that morning would be easy, but it would also be pretty suspicious. Staying for breakfast was risky, but maybe they could pull it off. Josie quickly makes her decision. She decides to take advantage of the fact that Hope's aunts don't know she's awake. It was time to put on a show. Josie leans her head a little more until her lips graze Hope's neck, then she starts leaving little kisses on the skin she finds there. Hope quickly reacts to the affection, her hold on Josie tightens and goosebumps appear on her arms. Hope is still way too sleepy to realise what's really going on, so Josie gets a little higher with her kisses, until she reaches Hope's ear.

 

"Hope, please wake up. Your aunts are watching us." Josie whispers as quiet as she can.

 

It's pretty clear that Hope is still sleeping when Josie gets no reaction at all.

 

The younger girl sighs. "Babe, wake up." Josie says way louder than before. "Let me see those pretty eyes of yours."

 

This time it works. Hope's eyes flutter open and when they fall on Josie, they widen a little. Josie sees the quiet panic that's filling Hope. With her eyes wide, Hope makes a move to untangle herself from Josie, but the brunette is quick to react.

 

Josie giggles. "Babe, calm down. It's just me."

 

Hope gives Josie a confused stare before opening her mouth to ask for an explanation, but Josie quickly pinches her to make her shut up. Josie gives Hope a discreet glare, and that's when a look of understanding crosses Hope's face. Hope moves closer to Josie and puts her hand on Josie's back again, only this time it's over her shirt. Hope gives Josie a sheepish smile.

 

"Sorry love, I guess I was surprised to wake up next to such a beautiful girl." Hope says with a sweet voice.

 

Josie huffs. "Yeah, right!"

 

The younger girl sits up in bed and gives Hope a teasing smile. She glances at the door and sighs in relief when she realises Hope's aunts are gone.

 

"They're gone." Josie says as she lets her eyes fall back on Hope.

 

Hope's hands immediately cover her face as she lets a groan out.

 

"I almost screwed everything up, didn't I?" Hope says. "Shit, I should of realised what was happening. I mean you kissed my neck and everything."

 

Josie tries hard to not pay attention to the fact that Hope's voice is a lot huskier when she just woke up, but she fails miserably. It was just so hot. Then she realises that Hope definitely felt and remembered the kisses. Josie knows she must be blushing hard at this point.

 

"Your aunt Rebekah is suspicious of me." Josie drops.

 

"What? Why? What did you hear?"

 

"She thinks I'm just someone who's gonna take advantage of you." Josie sighs. "Why is everything so complicated?"

 

Josie gets lost in thoughts after that, and she doesn't realise that Hope is carefully watching her. The older girl is leaning on her elbows as her eyes roam on Josie. She notices how Josie looks tired and sad. Hope sits up in bed and lets her eyes rest on Josie. She tightens her jaws and shakes her head.

 

"Josie, what's going on in that pretty head of yours?" Hope says quietly.

 

Josie looks over her shoulder and her eyes meet Hope's. "Nothing."

 

Hope gets a little closer to Josie. "You can tell me. Whatever it is."

 

Hope delicately puts one of Josie's brown locks back in place as her eyes never leave her friend's. Josie swallows hard and opens her mouth to speak.

 

"I'm just... It's just that I really have to use the bathroom."

 

When Josie looks back at Hope, she sees the older girl's face is blank. Suddenly, Hope starts laughing and actually clutches her stomach because she's laughing too hard.

 

"You got me worried idiot! Bathroom is down the hall, the door is red, you can't miss it."

 

Hope's chuckles as Josie quickly gets up and leaves the room. When the brunnette is out of sight, Hope lets herself fall back on her bed. She could still feel how nice it felt when Josie kissed her neck earlier. She could definitely get used to that kind of attention. Then, her mind wanders to her aunt Rebekah. Hope tightens her jaw as she thinks about how her aunt could make everything blow up in her face. The fake-relationship was one thing, losing Josie was another. She just couldn't imagine her life without Josie's warm brown eyes looking at her so softly.

 

"Are you going back to sleep?" Josie's soft voice comes from the doorway.

 

Hope is quick to sit back up. "No! I was just... thinking."

 

"About..."

 

"Us." Hope sighs and looks down at her hands, suddenly feeling very vulnerable. "Josie, can you promise to still be my friend even if things go wrong? I- I don't wanna lose you."

 

With her head still down, Hope misses how Josie's face softens when she hears her words. The brunette walks to the bed and sits right in front of Hope, very close to the auburn haired girl, close enough for their knees to touch.

 

"Hope, you're not losing me. Whatever happens, I'll stay by your side. You're stuck with me now."

 

Hope quickly looks up, her face is serious. "I wouldn't want it any other way."

 

"Good." Josie says with a small smile.

 

Their moment gets cut short by Josie's stomach grumbling. Hope giggles and shakes her head before getting up. As soon as she's on her feet, she offers her hand to Josie.

 

"Let's get breakfast."

 

Josie takes Hope's hand in hers and gets up with a sigh. She silently follows as Hope walks out of the room, but as soon as they're on top of the stairs, ready to go down, Josie grabs Hope's hand to stop her.

 

"Tell me, how bad is it gonna be?"

 

Hope almost winces. "Not that bad? I mean... I don't really know. Landon only met them once and it was so brief that I can't say how this is gonna go. Just remember that I'm on your side, always."

 

Josie smiles at Hope's choice of words, knowing full well why she decided to say them. Hope smiles back before gently intertwining her fingers with Josie's. With a nod from the younger girl, Hope knows she can go downstairs, that Josie's good with it. Hope walks them straight to the dinning room,where she can already hear her family talking. When they're both standing in the doorway, every head turn to look at them.

 

Hope gives a little smile. "Good morning."

 

There's a chorus of good mornings and warm smiles, and suddenly Josie feels a little more at ease. She smiles at the Mikaelson famile, and looks down when Freya looks at her.

 

"I'm glad to see you're better Josie."

 

Josie looks up and gives a shy smile to Freya. "Thank you Ms. Mikaelson. I'm really sorry I crashed your family dinner."

 

"Oh, please call me Freya, there's too many Ms. Mikaelson in this room!" Freya says with a warm smile.

 

"And don't be sorry about last night." Keelin adds. "Seeking your girlfriend out when you're upset is only normal."

 

Josie smiles and says a quiet thank you. Just like that she decides she really likes Hope's aunts. Then, she meets Kol's eyes and the glint she sees in them makes her smile.

 

"You girls should settle down! I'll go and start the pancakes."

 

From the corner of her eyes, Josie sees Hope's eyes widen and a big smile stretching her face.

 

"You're really gonna make pancakes?" Hope asks with excitement.

 

"Of course! I gotta show off to your beautiful girlfriend."

 

As soon as Kol is out of the room, Hope leans close to Josie's ear. "He makes the best pancakes ever."

 

Josie giggles, slowly turns her head and suddenly realises how close they are. Their noses are almost touching and Josie feels her heart beat faster. It takes her a lot of courage to even speak.

 

"Why are we whispering?"

 

"Cause if his head gets any bigger, it won't go through the door."

 

Josie giggles, and it instantly makes Hope smile. Their little moment is interrupted again when someone clears their throat, almost making them jump apart.

 

"You can sit down, you know?" Rebekah says with a smirk.

 

Hope rolls her eyes but still guides Josie to sit down. They sit side by side, with Josie facing Marcel and Hope facing her aunt Rebekah. The silence quickly gets kinda awkward, with Rebekah's eyes not leaving Josie.

 

"So, tell us girls, where did you meet?" Keelin asks, finally breaking the silence.

 

Hope is quick to answer. "At one of my volleyball games."

 

"Oh, does Josie play too?" Freya pipes up.

 

"No, but her sister does."

 

"So, Josie's sister is your team mate."

 

Josie giggles. "Not really, they're in different teams. Lizzie and I go to the Salvatore school."

 

Rebekah frowns. "Isn't that a boarding school?"

 

"Yes, but we're only going there because our dad is headmaster."

 

Rebekah hums and nods her head. Josie feels nervous everytime she interacts with Rebekah, feeling that the woman was looking for something wrong. Something to prove she was trying to hurt Hope, or that their relationship wasn't real. As Josie wipes her sweaty palms on her legs, she feels Hope's hand on hers. Hope gently squeezes her hand before turning it over and intertwining their fingers. The comfort is welcome, and Josie gives Hope a grateful smile to thank her.

 

"Do you play any sport Josie?" Freya asks again.

 

"No, I'm not really into sports. That's Lizzie's thing."

 

Hope smiles and decides to speak up. "Josie's a musician. She plays the piano, the guitar and the ukulele. She's a big music fan too."

 

"I love music too." Marcel says with a smirk. "Niklaus, Hope's father, introduced me to jazz a long time ago. That's when I started to get into music."

 

Hope feels her heart tighten at the mention of her father's name, but with the memory attached to it, she can't help but smile. She could still remember her father's lazy morning. He used to paint and put some of his favorite jazz song so loud that it would wake everyone in the house. She used to get angry at him for that, but now the memory made her smile.

 

"Hope told me about your family's love of jazz." Josie says with a smile.

 

"We're from New Orleans, that's only natural." Rebekah says with a mocking voice.

 

Josie gives her a tight-lipped smile, and the silence engulfs them again. Josie's kind of suprised to hear Hope break it.

 

"Aunt Rebekah, could I talk to you for a moment? Alone." Hope's tone of voice is hard.

 

Hope squeezes Josie's hand one more time, before getting up and leaving the room. Rebekah doesn't say a word, she just follows Hope out of the room. There's a chuckle to Josie's right, and the brunette quickly looks to see it's coming from Davina.

 

"Wow, she must care about you a lot to confront Rebekah."

 

Marcel gives a chuckle of his own. "I was thinking the same thing." Josie gives them a confused glance. "Hope and Rebekah are really close. It's pretty rare that they disagree on something, this must be a first."

 

"Rebekah is a little worried that you'll hurt Hope." Freya says with a sorry face.

 

"I would never hurt her." Josie says as she shakes her head. "I-I've been hurt recently too. Hope and I... we just found each other I guess. We're both still mending some wounds, but we're doing better together. That's all that matter to us."

 

Freya smiles softly. "I'm glad to hear that."

 

Josie smiles back, and before anyone can say anything else, Hope and Rebekah walk back into the room. Josie immediately looks at Hope, searching her friend's face to see if anything is wrong. Hope looks tense and a little angry, and by the time she sits by Josie, her eyes didn't leave her aunt once.

 

"Welcome back." Josie says before leaning in and leaving a soft kiss on Hope's cheek.

 

Some of Hope's tension leave her body as soon as Josie's lips make contact with her cheek. The auburn haired girl just knows that her cheeks must be a deep shade of red. But still, she turns her head and gives Josie a soft smile.

 

"What were you guys talking about?" Hope asks.

 

They all talk through breakfast. Josie enjoys the company of the Mikaelsons. Sometimes she receives a look or a glare from Rebekah, but she decides to ignore them. She focuses herself on Hope, on being her girlfriend. With every touch and every word, they get more comfortable. At the end of the meal, when they're all talking and not really eating anymore, Josie hears her phone ring. She quickly gets it out of her pocket and scowls when she sees who's calling her.

 

"Are you okay?" Hope asks before glancing down at Josie's phone. When she sees Lizzie's name, Hope frowns and quickly covers Josie's hands with her own, keeping her from answering. "You don't have to answer her, you know?"

 

The concern in Hope's voice is enough to make Josie's face soften. She looks down at their hands, enjoying Hope's soft touch. It's almost painful to the brunette to go against Hope.

 

"I'll have to eventually, better do it now." Josie says in a sigh.

 

"Well, if you wanna do it now, let's go to your house. This kind of conversation shouldn't be done over the phone."

 

Josie quickly looks up at Hope with confused and surprised eyes. "You'd come with me?"

 

Hope snickers. "You think I'd let you face that twin of yours alone? No way. You were there for me when I had to face... well you know. Don't forget that I'm on your side now."

 

Josie smiles. "Okay, I'll only text her then. Thank you Hope."

 

"No need to thank me."

 

After a quick goodbye to Hope's family, both girls go up to Hope's room and get changed. When they go downstairs, Hope quickly explains where she's going to Freya before they are on their way. During their ride to Josie's house, Hope steals a couple glances at Josie. Everytime, Josie looks a little more tense and anxious than the other.

 

"Want me to take your mind off of Lizzie?" Hope softly asks, afraid to frighten Josie since the younger girl looks deep in thoughts. Josie smiles softly and nods. "Look through my phone for a song called "One", it's by Lewis Capaldi. I think you'll love it, it's a piano ballad."

 

Josie is quick to take Hope's phone, but it takes her a little time to find the song. Hope's music library was slowly growing, a direct impact from Josie. The thought makes Josie smile to herself. The first piano note is quickly followed by Capaldi's voice, and soon Josie is swept by the words. When he sings "I'm saying thank you to the one who let her get away" for the first time, Josie's mind quickly goes to Landon. She turns her head to look at Hope's face. The older girl is concentred on the road, and Josie realises for the first time ever that Hope looks tense when she's driving. She wonders if it has something to do with her parents' accident.

 

_Thank you to the one who caused her heart to break_

_I'm thanking you for giving me a soul to save_

_Thank you to the one who let her get away_

 

"It's really beautiful." Josie almost whispers when the final notes are played.

 

"Yeah..." Hope answers, her eyes not leaving the road.

 

Josie decides to keep her mouth shut after that, not trusting herself in that moment. She just wished this relationship could be real. Just as this thought is starting to make her heart sink, Josie notices that they are at her house.

 

"Well, thank you for driving me home." Josie says as she's unbuckling her seat belt.

 

Hope frowns. "I thought I was gonna come with you inside."

 

Josie swallows with difficulty, this couldn't happen. Her argument with Lizzie was about her feelings for Hope, and Hope definitely couldn't know about it.

 

"Well... this is kinda personal and-"

 

Hope cuts her off. "Oh, I didn't mean to intrude or anything."

 

"No! Hope, it's not like that. It's just that... Nobody else than MG was supposed to knows."

 

"Okay, I get it. Just... let me know if you're okay, and if you need me to pick you up, just send me a text."

 

"That's really nice of you, thank you."

 

Josie glances at her house only to see her parents and sister waiting for her outside. She sighs and shake her head.

 

"I guess it's time to face them."

 

"I can still take you back to my house." Hope says.

 

Josie giggles and shakes her head. "No, thank you, but I really have to go."

 

"Just promise to call if it gets bad."

 

"They won't hurt me Hope, they're my family."

 

"Family can hurt you, just like anybody. Proof is that Lizzie hurt you yesterday."

 

Josie can't really argue anymore, so she just nods. "Okay, I promise."

 

"Good."

 

Josie smiles. "I'm gonna kiss you goodbye now, okay?"

 

Hope's hands leave the steering wheel. "Sure."

 

Josie leans over the little space that's seperating their seats and places a little kiss on Hope's lips. She intended it to be a light peck, but it seems that Hope has another idea. The older girl brings one hand to rest on the back of Josie's neck and pulls her as close as she can. They don't move their lips much, but there's a real intensity to the kiss. It feels like it means a lot more than the others they shared. Instead of questionning it, Josie shuts her eyes a little more tightly and enjoys it while it lasts. Soon, Hope breaks the kiss and pull away a little, but not too much. They look into each other's eyes for a moment, and the only that breaks them out of it is the sound of Josie's phone ringing.

 

"I really have to go now."

 

"Yeah."

 

Josie pulls away from Hope, opens the door of the car and gets out. She gives Hope a little wave and walks to her parents and sister, not without glancing back at Hope on the way. The older girl watches as Josie disapears in her house before starting to drive back to her house. On her way to her home, Hope calls Penelope.

 

"Hopey! What's up?" Penelope says as she answers the phone.

 

"Pen, I think I'm falling for Josie."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooooooo....
> 
> They both have feelings for each other, it's now official!  
> How do you guys feel about that?
> 
> Next chapter will include : a Halloween party, a pretty nasty fight and... some jealousy?
> 
> Hope to see you still there!


	11. she's an old friend of ours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back for another chapter my lovelies!

From Josie :

 

_Good morning Hope :)_

 

Hope receives Josie's text as she's getting ready for school, and it honestly makes her smile like a fool. She quickly writes good morning to Josie too before going downstairs to meet with her aunts before going to school.

 

"Someone's in a good mood this morning." Keelin says with a chuckle.

 

That's when Hope realises she's still smiling from Josie's text. The auburn haired girl blushes and takes an apple from the fruit basket.

 

Freya giggles. "I'm guessing it has something to do with a pretty girl called Josie."

 

Hope swallows the bite she just took, and then she smirks. "Maybe."

 

"You look so happy since she came into your life. That's a good change."

 

Hope feels a little guilty about lying to her family about Josie, but the younger girl does make her happier. So Hope just smiles and nods, before avoiding any other eye contact.

 

"I have to go now, or I'll be late."

 

"Have a good day at school!" Freya says as Hope is already walking out of the room. "I love you."

 

"Love you too." Hope shouts just before closing the door behind her.

 

*****

 

From Josie:

 

_I have to talk to you. Can I call you?_

 

Hope sees the text at lunch break, and she immediately dials Josie's number. It rings exactly three times before Josie picks up, and every rings makes Hope a little more nervous than the one before.

 

"Hello." Josie's soft voice comes into the phone.

 

"Hi, it's me, Hope." It's so awkward that Hope actually cringes.

 

Josie giggles. "I know, your name appears on the screen when you call."

 

"Oh, yeah, of course." Hope says. "So, you had to talk to me."

 

"Oh, yeah. So it's Halloween this week end, and Stephanie Salvatore is throwing a big party. I know that people from both of our school are invited, so I wanted to ask you to come... with me." The last part of Josie's sentence is added, like she wasn't sure how Hope would take the invitation.

 

Hope smiles. "Yeah, I heard about the party. Of course I'll go with you. Did you have a costume in mind?"

 

"Well, not really." Josie deadpans.

 

"It has to be a couple costume. I'll look for something tonight."

 

"You could come over and we could check it out together." Josie suggests.

 

"Sure. I'll be over late though, I have volleyball practice."

 

"Today? I thought it was supposed to be tomorrow." Josie says confused.

 

Hope sighs. "I have one tomorrow too. We have a big game friday."

 

Josie hums. "Do you want me to come and be your very own cheerleader?"

 

It makes Hope laugh. "How could I say no to that?"

 

"Good! See you tonight?"

 

"Yeah, I'll text you when practice is over."

 

"Have a good day."

 

"You too."

 

There's a chuckle on Hope's right side and the auburn haired girl quickly turns around to glare at her friend. When her glare falls on Penelope, the short haired girl laughs even harder. Hope's glare turns into a frown.

 

"Pen!" Hope whines. "Stop it, there's nothing funny."

 

"Nothing funny? You gotta be kidding me!" Penelope lowers her voice. "Your fake relationship is better than any real relationship I've ever had." The short haired girl leans back in her chair. "I thought there was no way you'd go to an awful Halloween party, and those are your words."

 

A light blush covers Hope's cheeks, and she tries to cover it up by glaring at Penelope again. "Josie wants to go."

 

Penelope rolls her eyes, but the smirk on her lips shows she's more amused than annoyed. "You should tell her you _actually_ like her."

 

"Not yet, I'm still not sure about how I feel. Plus, there's no way of knowing if she likes me back."

 

"Come on Hope! That girl is so into you that you'd have to be blind to miss it."

 

Hope shakes her head and looks down at her lap. She plays with her fingers nervously. "I won't do anything until I'm sure of how I feel. I don't wanna hurt her Penelope. It would kill me to hurt her like that."

 

It takes a moment for Penelope to gather a good answer. She wants Hope to jump in and be brave, but she sees how nervous it makes Hope.

 

"Fine, take your time, but make sure to keep her interrested Hope. I don't want you to regret not taking your shot." Penelope says softly.

 

Hope gives her a tightlipped smile. "Don't worry about me."

 

*****

 

Josie sits down in the library after her conversation with Hope. Her week was so boring and tense that she found herself in the library everyday at lunch. Things were kinda okay with Lizzie, they didn't have much of a choice after all. Since they were living together and were twins, they couldn't really stay mad at each other for long. But Josie still felt hurt everytime she was around her sister, so she decided to avoid her for a bit of time. MG had tried talking to Josie everyday since his betrayal, but Josie wouldn't hear him out. Lizzie was trying to talk to Josie in her boyfriend's favor but Josie wasn't ready yet. So she eats lunch alone in the library everyday. It could be worse. There, she could eat in peace, read a book and text Hope, so it was okay.

 

Just as Josie opens her book, someone sits right in front of her. At first, she doesn't pay attention. Places were limited in the library, and she was sitting alone at a table made for four. It's only when a shoe hits hers that Josie looks up. Her heart almost stops when her eyes meets Nia's.

 

"Hey Jo." Nia says quietly with a smile.

 

Josie forces a smile. "Nia, hi."

 

"You've been coming here everyday at lunch for a week now. What's up?"

 

"Nothing you have to worry about." Josie says before looking down at her book again.

 

For a moment, she thinks Nia has taken the hint, the girl says nothing and Josie can go back to reading her book. But then, Nia's foot hits Josie's again.

 

"What?" Josie practically hisses.

 

Nia giggles quietly. "Come on, let me help you forget whatever's bothering you."

 

"No, thank you."

 

"Josie, we agreed to be friends, right?"

 

Josie closes her book and looks back at Nia. "I'm uncomfortable with the fact that you asked me to take you back. So, no, Nia we can't be friends right now."

 

"Oh, okay." Nia looks down. "Can you answer one question though?" Josie nods. "Is Hope treating you better than I did?"

 

Josie's eyes widen a little. Was Hope treating her better than Nia? Josie wanted to say yes, absolutely yes. The only thing was that Josie knew she would still end up heartbroken. The only difference between Hope and Nia was that Hope had no idea she was on her way to break Josie's heart.

 

"She's very good to me." Is all Josie decides to say.

 

The brunette is saved from saying more by the bell signaling the end of their lunch period. So Josie quickly gathers her things and gets out of the library. Her quick exit makes her miss the way Nia's eyes almost lights up with hope. Her words hadn't been convincing enough.

 

*****

 

Hope gets out of the shower and quickly gets dressed. She pulls her still very wet hair in a bun and grabs her shoes to put them on. As she's tying the laces of her first shoe, a girl from her team call her name.

 

"Hey Hope! Are you coming to Stephanie Salvatore's Halloween party this week end?"

 

Hope looks up but keeps on tying her laces. "Yeah, I'm going with Josie."

 

"Oh, you guys are still a thing? It's been a long time since we saw you together." Dana says with a smirk.

 

Hope forces herself to just keep lacing her shoelaces, not even looking up at Dana. "Just because you don't see us together, doesn't mean our relationship is over. Everything is perfect between us."

 

Just as Hope ends her sentence, she finishes tying her shoelaces too. So she grabs her bag and gets out of the locker room with a quick goodbye to her team mates. Hope is deep in her thought, very angry with Dana, as she gets out of school. She's walking straight to her car when a very familiar voice calls after her.

 

"Mikaelson!"

 

Hope almost groans when she hears Stephanie Salvatore call her last name. Okay, so maybe she wasn't Stephanie's biggest fan. She didn't hate Stephanie like she hates Dana, Hope just didn't like her. Stephanie was really popular among her peers. Skin sporting a natural tan, long straight black hair, piercing blue eyes and a charming smirk. Stephanie Salvatore was also arrogant, the biggest flirt on earth and it seemed like she never took anything seriously. The thing is, Stephanie Salvatore is not Hope Mikaelson's biggest fan either.

 

"I heard some really interesting things today Mikaelson." Stephanie says clearly unamused. It's the first time Hope sees her without her signature smirk. "I heard you're coming to my party this week end. Even better, you're coming as Josie's date."

 

Hope crosses her arms, suddenly feeling defensive. "Josie and I are dating, so yeah we're going together."

 

"See Mikaelson, Josie is a childhood friend of mine. Our parents are really close, she's practically family. So, I really thought it'd be a good idea to come and give you some advice. Here's the first one, if you're not that into her leave her now. She deserves the world and if you're not willing to give it to her, than fuck off. The second one is more of a threat, if you hurt her, I'm kicking your ass, understood?"

 

Hope frowns and rolls her eyes. "Why do you think I'll hurt her? I'd never do that to her, she's... special to me." Hope's phone notifies her that she received a text, so she quickly looks at it. "She's actually waiting for me, so are you done?"

 

Just like that Stephanie chuckles and shakes her head, then the signature smirk is back in place. "Don't make her wait. I'll see you both at the party. Say hi for me, will ya?"

 

Before she gets an answer, Stephanie turns around and walks away. Hope takes a second to recover from the conversation before she hops in her car and drives away from school. To take her mind off of everything that happened that day, Hope decides to open the playlist Josie sent her the night before. As soon as the first song starts to play, Hope feels a little nervous. It's a beautiful cover of 'Accidentally in love' and it hits her a little too hard. So, Hope decides to just turn off the music. Silence was good. No, in fact silence was hell. It left Hope with all her thoughts and feelings. So, Hope opens the music again, but she decides to settle for one of Penelope's old playlists. Mindless pop, that was much better.

 

Soon enough, Hope parks her car in front of Josie's house. She's relieved to see that Alaric's car isn't in the driveway, which means the man isn't home. He always made her feel a little out of place and watched whenever he was there. So Hope feels a little lighter as she rings the doorbell. She smiles really big when the person opening the door turns out to be Josie.

 

"Hope! You're finally here." Josie says with a smile as big as Hope's.

 

"Sorry that I made you wait." Hope says as she walks in.

 

"Don't worry about that." Josie pauses and looks at Hope. "You're not wearing a coat! It's cold outside."

 

"I know, but I just got out of practice and I felt really hot so I didn't put it on." Hope explains herself.

 

Josie shakes her head. "You'll get a cold. Don't do that again, please."

 

"Sure." Hope replies with a fond smile.

 

"Good. So my mom is making lasagna for dinner, I hope you like that."

 

"I'm sure it'll be delicious."

 

Josie smiles. "Good! Now come on, we're going to talk in my room. Lizzie's not home yet, so we won't be disturbed."

 

Josie leads Hope to her room, and as soon as they are inside the twin's room, Josie lets herself fall face first on her bed. Hope laughs a little, amused by Josie's dorkness.

 

"What are you doing?"

 

"Enjoying this room. I've been avoiding my own room for almost a week now."

 

Hope frowns. "You never told me what happened when I dropped you here last week."

 

Josie turns around in bed until she's on her back. Then she sits on the bed instead of laying on it. She sighs loudly before replying. "My parents were a bit angry that I ran from home. They asked me not to do it again. Lizzie apologized and cried, a lot. I kinda forgave her, but things are still tense between us."

 

"What about MG?"

 

"He tried talking to me, but I don't feel like talking to him." Josie looks down as the guilty feeling comes washing in. "Does that make me a bad person?"

 

Hope walks over to Josie's bed and sits down beside her. She hesitates a moment before reaching out and taking Josie's hand in hers. "No, I don't think that makes you a bad person. You need to heal from his betrayal to be able to forgive him, that's only normal if you ask me."

 

As soon as Hope reached for Josie's hand, the younger girl's eyes didn't leave their hands. She watched as Hope played with her hand as she's talking. Josie only looks up when Hope stops talking.

 

"You're kind of my favorite person right now." Josie says softly.

 

It takes Hope a little by surprise, but she can't fight the smile it brings on her face.

 

"Well, you're kind of my favorite person too." She replies just as soflty.

 

The look on Hope's face makes the butterflies in Josie's stomach go wild. Josie barely registers the fact that she's leaning in before someone clears their throat by the door. The two girls jump apart and look at the person standing by Josie's door. Alaric looks embarrassed as he stands there.

 

"Hey, I just came by to tell you I'm home sweetie." He gently tells Josie.

 

Josie smiles, but she's very aware that her cheeks are flaming red. "Welcome home dad."

 

Alaric looks at Hope. "Good evening Hope. Caroline told me you're joining us for dinner, that's... good."

 

"Uh, good evening too Mr. Saltzman. Thank you for letting me stay."

 

Alaric nods and gives them a tightlipped smile before walking away.

 

Josie groans as soon as he walks down the stairs. "Sorry about him."

 

"Don't be." Hope shakes her head. "At least he seems to like me a little more than he did before."

 

"That's because you take care of me when I'm upset. You protect his little girl."

 

Hope giggles. "Well, I won't say it's my pleasure, cause I hate when you're upset. But, I'll always be there for you."

 

Josie smiles, but then it drops. "We need to talk."

 

"Well, it's the second time you say that today. Although this time it sounds a lot more serious."

 

"It's just... I've been thinking and... I have enough money for my trip now."

 

It takes Hope a couple of seconds to let the information sink in. "Oh."

 

"Yeah."

 

"So you want us to break up."

 

"Well... no? I mean, I'm willing to do it for free. This has taken such a ridiculus proportion now. And I feel like I'm getting as much as you do from this relationship. I'd keep being your fake girlfriend if you want me to."

 

After a couple of seconds, Hope replies. "Okay."

 

"Okay?"

 

"Yeah, if you're okay with it, I think I'd like to keep going. My family is happy that I have someone like you by my side, Landon is leaving me alone... I think it'd be a good idea to continue this."

 

"Good, I was hoping you'd say that. My mom loves you and my dad is starting to warm up to you. Plus, you're kind of a good shield against Nia."

 

Hope frowns. "She's still trying to get back with you?"

 

"Yeah..."

 

"Do you think she'll be at the party this week end?"

 

"I don't know, why?"

 

Hope shrugs. "We could put on a show and let her see just how happy we are."

 

Josie giggles. "That's an idea."

 

Suddenly, there's movements and sounds coming from the door again. Both Josie and Hope look at the person coming into the room. Lizzie gives a nod to Hope before giving a tentative smile to her sister. Josie gives her a little smile before looking back at Hope.

 

"Stephanie Salvatore told me she'd kick my ass if I hurt you." Hope decides to say.

 

"What?" Josie says as she starts laughing.

 

"I'm not joking! She heard we're going to her party this weekend and decided to give me her own version of a shovel talk."

 

"She's an old friend of ours." Josie says with a smile.

 

Hope hums. "Yeah, that's what she told me."

 

There's a crash on the other side of the room and Hope looks over just in time to see Lizzie cursing as she gathers the things that fell from her desk.

 

"Come on Hope, let's just go to the living room." Josie says before standing up.

 

"Here I thought I was the childish one." Lizzie says quietly, but not quietly enough to not be heard.

 

"What did you just say?"

 

"Nothing..." Lizzie says.

 

"Oh come on, just say what you have to say."

 

"Okay then, you say you forgive me but you avoid me. Every chance you get to be as far away from me as possible, you take it. Just say that you're still angry!"

 

"You know what! Yes, I am angry. But right now is really not the time to do this. If you really want me to forgive you, you have to understand why I don't want to do this now."

 

Lizzie's eyes flicker to Hope before she looks down at the ground. "Promise we'll talk more when she's gone."

 

"I promise." Josie concedes.

 

"Good. I'll leave the two of you then, I'll text you when dinner is ready."

 

Lizzie walks to the door, but Josie is quick to call after her. "Lizzie! Thank you."

 

The blonde twin nods before disappearing. Hope watches as Josie just stands there, when a minute, and then two passes, Hope decides to reach out. She tugs on Josie's hand until the brunette stumbles backwards and falls straight in Hope's lap. Both girls laugh a little at their newfound position. When their laughter dies out, Josie realises just what is happening and quickly gets off of Hope's lap.

 

"So... Halloween costumes! Did you think about something?"

 

"Well, kind of..."

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please... please... please don't be angry with me!!! This is not the Halloween chapter. 
> 
> This wasn't supposed to be this long, but sometimes it just feels like the story is writing itself. And I really wanted to introduce Stephanie Salvatore before the Halloween party. 
> 
> Hope you still enjoyed the chapter!!


	12. don't leave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! I swear you're not dreaming. I'm actually getting two chapters out the same week.
> 
> I didn't disapear this time 😂
> 
> Here is the long awaited HALLOWEEN PARTY CHAPTER :D Enjoy!

It's the last part of the game and Hope watches around her. They're losing, but they can't be losing. This game is important and Hope can't let it slip through her fingers. They manage to gain some points, lowering the gap between their team and the other. It's Dana's turn to serve, she touches the net once, twice... and a third time. Dana's mistake makes them officially lose the game and Hope feels herself grow angry. They shake hands with the other team and walk to the locker room. No one says a thing. Hope quickly takes her bag from her locker and makes her way to the door when she hears something that makes her stop.

 

"Someone's a sore looser."

 

Dana's words are the thing that makes everything explode within Hope. She closes the door of the locker room and walks straight to Dana. The blonde girl seems satisfied since she smirks as Hope walks to her.

 

"Repeat that to my face."

 

Dana rolls her eyes. "You, Hope Mikaelson, are a sore looser. This is just a game!"

 

"A game that was really important to get us into the tournament! Now we're going to have to win every single game until it starts if we want to get in. Some of our team mates depend on a possible scholarship to go to college Dana, do you even care about that?" Dana doesn't answer, she snickers and looks around, but she finds no support from her team mates. "You made us loose today, Dana. That's on you."

 

Hope turns around with every intention to leave the room, but Dana doesn't give her the chance.

 

"I see why Landon broke up with you. You're such a fucking stuck up. He used to tell me whenever we had sex while you guys were together."

 

Hope's heart sink. Landon had cheated on her. Multiple times. Her body seems to have a mind of its own, because when Hope understands what happens next, she registers the fact the her hand hurts and is stained with blood. Dana is on the ground, hands on her nose to keep it from bleeding. Some of their team mates are holding Hope back while the others are checking on Dana. Hope gets out of their hold and bends down to take her bag from the ground.

 

"Don't even think about telling coach about this, you know what I have on you." Hope says before going out of the door.

 

When Hope sits down in her car, her hands are shaking. She tries to calm herself, taking deep breath and closing her eyes. Her heart jumps a beat when she hears a knock on her window. She quickly looks to see who's there only to find Josie looking at her with worried eyes. Josie... Hope totally forgot the girl was at the game. Hope opens the window, but refuses to look at the younger girl.

 

"Hope, what's wrong? You look off." Josie says, her voice full of worry.

 

"I did something so stupid Jo." Hope manages to get out.

 

"What? Look, can I come inside?"

 

Hope nods, and it's all it takes for Josie to walk around the car and get in through the passenger door. As soon as Josie's in the car, she notices Hope's bloody hands. She notices how distraught Hope really looks. Josie reaches to take one of Hope's hand in hers, in hope to to keep the girl from shaking. But as soon as Josie's hand touches Hope's, the auburn haired girl takes her hand away as if Josie's touch had burned her.

 

"Don't! They're... dirty."

 

"Okay. Calm down Hope, everything is okay." Josie takes a deep breath. "Can you do something for me?" Hope nods. "Look at me Hope." It takes a moment, but when Hope does, Josie smiles softly at her. "Good, now I want you to breath with me. Can you do that for me?"

 

Hope nods, and slowly Josie starts breathing. She takes deep breaths and waits for Hope to follow her lead. Eventually, Hope calms down, but it's soon followed by tears streaming down her cheeks.

 

"Tell me what happened, please." Josie practically begs.

 

Hope's hands are gripping the steering wheel, and her eyes are glued on them. She doesn't look at Josie, but she feels the brunette's eyes on her.

 

"Landon cheated on me. He had sex with Dana multiple times while we were dating." Hope stops and close her eyes while taking a deep breath. "Dana told me that in the locker room, and... I lost it. I don't even remember punching her."

 

Josie's eyes are glued on Hope. She watches as the tears stain the older girl's cheeks, as her knuckles turn white from how tight she grips the steering wheel...

 

"I'm so sorry he did that to you. How can I help?"

 

Hope doesn't answer, she just lets a sob escape her and start to hit the wheel with the palm of her hand. Josie quickly reaches out and grips Hope's arm to stop her.

 

"Hope! Please stop, you're gonna hurt yourself." Hope stops her movements, and Josie sighs in relief. "Thank you... Now change seats with me, I'll drive you home."

 

Hope does as she's told, she gets out of the car at the same time as Josie. They meet in front of the car, and for a moment Josie considers hugging Hope. However, when their eyes meet, Josie understands it's a bad idea. Hope's eyes quickly avoids Josie's and she starts to walk to the passenger's side again. Josie clenches her jaw and shakes her head. This would be a hard time. The ride to Hope's house is mostly silent. Neither Josie or Hope turn the music on, the only sound filling the car is the outside world. When Josie parks the car in the driveway of Hope's home, the older girl immediately gets out of the car. Josie's not sure if she's meant to follow, but she does anyway. As soon as she walks into the house, Josie can see that Hope already disapeared upstairs. Keelin and Freya are both standing in the hallway and give Josie worried stares.

 

"What happened? She can't be this upset about a game." Freya's tone is kind of accusatory, and Josie can't blame her for it.

 

"Something happened in the locker room. I-I think she should be the one to tell you." Josie looks at the stairs, unsure if she should stay or not. "Can I go to her room? Or do you think I should leave her alone?"

 

Keelin's the one to speak up. "She shouldn't be left alone right now. You can go, if she asks you to leave then..."

 

"I will." Josie says to finish Keelin's sentence.

 

With a nod to the two women, Josie starts to walk upstairs. When she gets to Hope's room, the older girl is sitting on her bed, staring at her bloody hands. Instead of going straight to Hope, Josie decides to get out of her room and move to the bathroom instead. There, she finds a washcloth and puts it under warm water. After that, she returns to Hope's room. Hope is still sitting on the bed, she hasn't moved at all. Josie slowly walks up to Hope, when she's standing right in front of her fake girlfriend, Josie decides to kneel in front of Hope. Carefully, the younger girl reaches for Hope's right hand. Hope doesn't protest, she lets Josie take her hand. With gentle care, Josie wipes the blood from Hope's hands. After a handful of minutes, all the blood is gone.

 

"Thank you." The thankful words are so quiet that Josie barely hears them, but they make her smile nonetheless. "I'm... I'm not a violent person, I swear."

 

Josie frowns. "It's okay Hope, don't worry."

 

"No! I don't... I don't want you to think-"

 

"I said, it's okay. You snapped, it happens."

 

Hope finally looks at Josie. Her eyes are still full of tears, tears that she wastes no time in wiping with the back of her hand. "Shit... I'm exhausted now."

 

"It's okay, just go to sleep. I'll walk home and see you tomorrow."

 

Hope's eyes widen in panic. "Don't leave. I mean, you can stay. You could like, sleepover. If you want to."

 

Josie gives Hope a little smile. "Sure, let me call my parents real quick and then we can go to sleep."

 

"Okay."

 

Josie's call to her parents is quick, and soon enough she slips under the covers of Hope's bed. Hope is laying on her back, but as soon as Josie is by her side, she turns around to face her.

 

"I- I just... feel so..." Every word seem hard to get out for Hope.

 

"You don't have to explaine anything you know."

 

"But I want to, no, I need to."

 

Josie puts her hand on Hope's arm and slowly rubs it to give Hope some comfort.

 

"Then take your time, I'm listening."

 

Hope takes a deep breath before she speaks again. "I feel so worthless."

 

Josie's eyes widen a little. She wasn't expecting that. The wonderful person in front of her surely shouldn't be feeling that. Hope doesn't say more, she just looks down, as if she felt shame for what she just said. Josie uses her fingers to gently lift Hope's chin up until the older girl is looking at her. Then she slowly leans in until their foreheads are resting on each other.

"Don't say that again. You deserve so much more than that Hope Mikaelson. If I have to show you myself, then I will. I care about you Hope, and I'll make you see just how much you're worth."

 

Hope's eyes fill with tears, but there's a slow smile tugging on her lips. "I... I'm sorry."

 

"You have nothing to be sorry about." Josie softly says. "We agreed to be there for each other. So I'm doing just that."

 

"You're such a good friend, thank you Jo."

 

Josie knows those words shouldn't sting, but they do anyway. Instead of showing the hurt they caused her, Josie smiles at Hope. To save her some heartbreak, Josie decides to change the subject.

 

"Are you excited about tomorrow's party?"

 

Hope's eyes widen. "Shit! I totally forgot to buy my costume."

 

"What? Okay, don't worry, we'll go buy it tomorrow."

 

"Yeah, okay." Hope sighs. "Would it be weird to ask you to cuddle with me?"

 

"No. Turn around, I'll be your big spoon."

 

Hope gives Josie a small smile before turning around. As soon as Hope's back is facing her, Josie scoots closer, until her front is flush against Hope's back. Josie wraps an arm around Hope's waist, pulling them even closer than before. This newfound proximity is heaven and hell at the same time for the brunette.

 

"Goodnight Josie." Hope says softly.

 

"Goodnight Hope."

 

If only the brunette would have noticed how flustered Hope really was.

 

*****

 

"We're screwed." Hope says as she sees the empty costume department of the third store they've visited this morning.

 

"Kind of, yeah." Josie agrees, and from the corner of her eyes she sees an employee of the store nearby. "Excuse me! Hi, I'm looking for a couple's costume. I see that the department is practically empty, but this is really important."

 

The guy smirks a little. "I have something for you. Wait for me here."

 

As soon as the guy is out of sight, Hope speaks up. "That sounded kind of creepy, don't you think?"

 

"Kind of yeah." Josie agrees, but when the guy reappears, she gives him her biggest smile, until she sees the costumes in his hands. "You can't be serious."

 

"That's all I have left." He can barely contain his laughter. "Do you want it or not?"

 

Josie groans, but Hope smiles at him. "Yes, thank you!" When he walks away, Hope notices the pout on Josie's face. "Oh come on pouty face! We'll look amazing!"

 

"You can't be serious! We were supposed to dress up as Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy and now we're stuck with... that."

 

"At least it's fun!" Hope gives Josie her best smile, in hopes to cheer the younger girl on.

 

Hope's smile seems to work, because soon Josie's smiling too and shaking her head.

 

"Alright! If it makes you happy."

 

Later that night, when they walk through the door of Stephanie Salvatore's house dressed up as ketchup and mustard, all the eyes are on them. Stephanie is laughing so hard that she's almost crying. When Josie looks at Hope, she's surprised to see the older girl is just smiling. Hope seems completely comfortable in her mustard costume.

 

"Let's get ourselves a drink, okay?" Josie tells Hope.

 

"Sure!"

 

They walk hand in hand in the kitchen. Josie quickly gets them a drink from the fridge.

 

"Is Penelope coming tonight?" Josie asks Hope.

 

Hope shakes her head. "No. She took Amanda on a date."

 

Josie frowns but smiles at the same time. "I thought they weren't dating."

 

Hope shrugs. "Pen decided to change her own rules, it seems."

 

Just as they're about to leave the kitchen, Lizzie and MG walk in. The couple is dressed up as Han Solo and Princess Leia from Star Wars. Josie tries to make a quick exit, but Lizzie doesn't let her.

 

"I thought you guys were coming as Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn." Lizzie says with a confused frown.

 

"Hope forgot to buy her costume. We wanted to do a couple's costume, so this was our only option." Josie sighs and shakes her head. "And she likes it, so..."

 

MG smiles, but just as he opens his mouth to speak, Josie cuts in. "We were heading to the living room, so we'll catch you later!"

 

With that, Josie and Hope leave the kitchen. As soon as they walk into the living room, Josie regrets her decision. Nia is dancing in the middle of the room with some of the orchestra members. Josie's ex-girlfriend is wearing a sexy version of a Wonder Woman costume. Josie squeezes Hope's hand without realising it, making Hope a little confused.

 

"Jo, what's wrong?"

 

Before Josie can answer, Nia sees them and quickly walks up to them. "Josie! You're actually here. Oh my god, what are you wearing?"

 

"This is a couple's costume Nia, because Hope and I are a couple."

 

It's only then that Nia seems to give some attention to Hope. She looks at Hope with some kind of smirk on her face, a look that automatically makes Hope uncomfortable. So this was Josie's ex. The one that was trying to win her back. Suddenly, Hope feels a little threatened by the beautiful girl. The girl that was touching Josie, trying to pull her to the dance floor. Josie who was being her niceself and trying to let the girl down gently. Nia's insistence is what pulls Hope out of her thoughts.

 

"If you don't mind, I'll make my girlfriend dance myself." Hope says through gritted-teeth.

 

"No need to get jealous!" Nia says with the same arrogant smile than before.

 

"I'm not-" Hope starts.

 

Josie cuts her off. "Come on babe, let's dance."

 

Hope lets Josie pull her to the dance floor, but her eyes don't leave Nia. Nia who winks at Hope as Josie drags her to the dance floor. Hope hates this girl, it's official. Josie pulls her close as they start to dance, but Hope has a hard time to leave Nia's form. Suddenly, Josie gently grabs her chin and makes her look at her.

 

"Be with me, don't worry about her or what she said."

 

"She's such a bitch. I can't believe you dated her."

 

Josie giggles. "And I can't believe you dated Landon. So we're even, uh?"

 

Hope laughs a little. "I guess."

 

They dance a little, but soon realise their costumes were not made for that. So they decide to move to the backyard to talk. There, Hope finds some of her team mates, so she goes to say hi to them. They've been talking for a couple of minutes when Lizzie and MG arrive in the backyard. Soon, they're taking Josie away and Hope feels a little bad as she sees the brunette walk away.

 

*****

 

"Do we have to do this now?" Josie says as she crosses her arms.

 

"Come on Josie, this been killing me for days now." MG pleads. "Just let us talk. You'll do whatever you want after that."

 

Josie throws her hands in the air in defeat. "Fine!"

 

"Do you wanna start?" MG asks Lizzie.

 

"Yes, thank you." Lizzie gives her boyfriend a thankful smile. "First, I'm really sorry for what I said to you. You're not a fool, you have the purest heart on earth. I should have more faith in you and your choices. I promise to respect your choices from now on, and to support you."

 

Lizzie's words are sincere, Josie can tell. It was rare for Lizzie to admit she was wrong, even more rare was her apologizing. Josie slowly felt her walls fall down with every word her twin got out, only for them to get back up when MG opened his mouth.

 

"I broke your trust. Something I swore I'd never do when we were 6. I have no excuses Jo, but I feel like a total looser. I let you down, I let our friendship down. You deserve much better than that. All I can do now is hope that you'll find it in you to forgive me. I'll work hard to earn that forgiveness, but if you don't want me to, then I'll leave you alone. I'm so sorry Josie."

 

Josie quickly wipes the tears that were threatening to spill.

 

"I- I don't know what to say." Josie said quietly. "I-I love you guys. Just give me some time and... and things will go back to normal. Thank you for saying all of that, it's... I mean, it helps."

 

"Can we do a group hug? We haven't had a group hug for so long!" MG almost begs.

 

Josie laughs a little before opening her arms, signaling for her sister and her best friend that the hug was welcome.

 

After a moment, Josie thinks about Hope. "Shit, I gotta go back to Hope now."

 

"Sure, thanks for listening to us Josie." Lizzie says with a smile.

 

"Goodnight guys." Josie says before walking out of the room they were in.

 

*****

 

Josie had been gone for a while now and Hope had left her team mates a good five minutes ago. She moves around the house without a destination. Saying hi to some people on her way. When she finally sits down on a couch, she realises a second later that it was a big mistake, because Nia sits down next to her.

 

"Hi Hope." The girl says cheerfully.

 

"Hi." Hope replies.

 

"Josie's a good catch, isn't she?" Nia says, arrogant smile back on.

 

"She's a wonderful person, it's a shame you let her go."

 

"Yeah, I was too stupid to realise she was the real thing. I still remember how it felt when she kissed me, or when we had sex."

 

Hope isn't sure if she wants to dig a hole and disapear in it, or punch Nia. One thing is sure, she's blushing hard.

 

"What are you trying to do Nia?"

 

Nia shrugs, her smile getting wider. "Letting you know you'll never be enough. She was so in love with me Hope. Now that she knows I want her back, how long do you think it'll take her to dump your ass?"

 

"She won't do that!" Hope says, getting angry with every word Nia's saying. "You hurt her so bad, do you even realise that? She likes me and she wants to be with me."

 

"Have you guys done it yet? 'Cause it didn't take her long to sleep with me for the first time." Nia chuckles. "From the look on your face, I'm guessing you two didn't have sex. Does she really like you?"

 

"Hope? Nia?"

 

Josie's voice makes both of their head turn to look at her. Nia looks like she got caught doing something bad, while Hope looked completely lost. Hope suddenly stands up.

 

"I'm going home."

 

She walks past Josie and quickly gets out of the room. The emotions are a little too much for her to bear right now. The one that's the most present is jealousy, then comes anger. Oh how she wished she could have punched Nia. But punching two people in two days seemed a little too much. Was Nia right? Was Josie thinking about going back to her? Just as she's stepping on the grass outside the front lawn, Josie catches Hope's arm and make her stop.

 

"What the hell Hope?!"

 

"It's fine! You can just go back to her, I don't fucking care." Hope practically yells.

 

"What are you talking about?"

 

"Nia! I'm talking about Nia."

 

"I don't wanna go back to Nia." Josie says. "I wanna be with you."

 

Hope closes her eyes, trying to ground herself. When she opens them again, she notices that they've gathered a crowd, with Nia being there to witness the fight. When their eyes lock together, Hope makes a decision. She's going to show Nia that she's the one Josie wants. Hope walks to Josie with determinate steps. When she's close enough, Hope uses both of her hands to pull Josie in a passionate kiss. Josie lets out a surprised squeak before closing her eyes and enjoying the kiss. Hope puts her hands on Josie's waist, pulling their bodies as close as their costumes allow them to be. The kiss is deep and slow, and Hope doesn't even think before she's asking entrance into Josie's mouth with her tongue. When they pull away, it's because they're struggling to breathe. It's only as they're catching their breaths that they hear the claps and the cheers.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it! 
> 
> That was kinda intense, right?


	13. you guys are gross

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I did disappear for a week. But this time I have a really good reason for that! I worked late for a couple of days, then it was my birthday (the same day Legacies came back! How lucky was I, right?). I had a busy week.
> 
> So I hope you'll enjoy this little chapter ;)

For almost two weeks, Josie and Hope barely saw each other. After their defeat, Hope's team got two more practices per week, and with the winter break approaching, Josie got more orchestra practices too. Plus, the end of the semester meant lots of homework and study sessions to pass the exams. During those two weeks, they exchanged texts, called each other, and even facetimed. They achieved to have one (very tense) movie night with MG and Lizzie. But now Hope has to admit she misses the brunette. She misses Josie's beautiful smile, her laugh, her touch, her kisses... Those two weeks made something clear though, Hope now realizes just how much she cares about Josie. She can't help but think about their last kiss, the one they shared at that Halloween party. Hope can almost still feel how great it had been. She was falling hard for Josie Saltzman. That was the reason why Hope was standing in line in the freezing air of November to get tickets for a show of 'Of Monsters and Men'.

 

"I can't believe you forced me to come with you. I'm fucking freezing Mikaelson. It'll be your fault if I get pneumonia."

 

Hope glares at her. "We're doing it for Josie."

 

"She's your girlfriend, not mine!" Penelope almost roars.

 

Hope smirks teasingly. "Talking of girlfriends, how's yours?"

 

There's suddenly a blush covering Penelope's cheeks, and Hope is sure it has nothing to do with the cold air.

 

"Amanda's great."

 

Hope rolls her eyes. "Come on! Tell me more, I've barely seen you since you two made it official. Are you like... in love?"

 

Penelope glares at Hope. "I don't know Hope, are you?"

 

Hope lifts her hands in the air in defeat. "Fine, I get it. Just know that if you need to talk, I'm here. I kinda miss you P."

 

Penelope smiles and bumps Hope's elbow with her own. "I miss you too."

 

"Hello ladies, what can I do for you today?"

 

Penelope and Hope immediately turn around, they hadn't even realized they had gotten at the front of the line.

 

"Finally..." Penelope mutters.

 

At the same time Hope speaks up. "Hi sir, I'd like to get two tickets for the 'Of Monsters and Men' show, please."

 

"Sure thing!"

 

The man prepares the tickets, Hope pays him and the two girls quickly get back to Hope's car. Hope starts the engine and quickly turns the heat on. As sonn as the warm air fills the car, both girls sigh in relief.

 

"So, what are we doing now?" Penelope asks.

 

" _We_ are not doing anything. I'm dropping you off to your house, and then I'm gonna go to Josie's house in hopes to spend a good five minutes with her before her dad kicks me out."

 

Penelope's mouth opens in shock. "I can't believe you forced me to stand in line in the freezing cold, only to drop me off at my house after. You're evil Mikaelson."

 

Hope smirks at Penelope. "At least we spent some time together Park. Stop being so whiny about it."

 

*****

 

Josie groans as she tries to solve another math problem from her sheet. She hated the end of semesters. Her father refused to let them have any fun that isn't in relation with school. So the only time she gets to spend outside her house is when she's at orchestra practice. Josie's mind drifts to the week before, when Hope was allowed to come to a movie night. Josie's not sure if they had subcontiously did it, but they had cuddled a lot. She could still remember how at one point her head ended up on Hope's lap and the older girl played with her hair for the remaining of the movies. After the night of the Halloween party, Josie started to have doubts about what was happening between Hope and her. Maybe the older girl had actual feelings for her. She just wished they could have some time alone to talk about what happened that night.

 

Josie and Lizzie are never doing homework together. There was a simple reason for that, Josie likes to do her homework with some music in the background, it helps her focus. The thing is, it does the exact opposite for Lizzie. So, Josie is doing her homework in the living room, with James TW's soft voice for company, while Lizzie is in their room in complete silence.

 

The brunette's face lights up as the doorbell rings. She's the only one around to open the door, Lizzie is upstairs and Caroline and Alaric are both out. As she does just that, her heart starts to flutter when she sees who rang the doorbell.

 

"Hi Josie." Hope says with a smile.

 

"Hope! Hi, what are you doing here?"

 

"Ouch Saltzman... We barely see each other for two weeks and that's how you greet me?" Hope answers with a teasing smile.

 

Josie rolls her eyes. "Come in, it's freezing outside." Hope walks in, but as she's about to take her coat off, Josie stops her. "Actually... you can't stay. My dad would be super pissed if he knew you're here."

 

Hope chuckles. "Right."

 

"Sorry... Did you have something to tell me or..."

 

"Yeah, let me just..." Hope gets the tickets out of her pocket. "I heard there was a 'Of Monsters and Men' show in a town nearby, so I went out this morning and I bought two tickets. One for me, and the other is for you."

 

With every word Hope gets out, Josie's eyes grow a little wider. She can't believe her ears, and neither can she believe her eyes.

 

"What? Hope, this is... I can't accept. It's too much and-"

 

"I wanted to go, and you're the only person I'd like to go with. Please, it's nothing."

 

"It's not nothing. It's a lot." Josie says before shaking her head.

 

"Think of it as a favor to me. If you don't come with me, I'll have to go alone. Wouldn't that be sad?" Hope fakes a pout to accentuate her point.

 

"That pout is way too cute." The words get out of Josie's mouth before she can stop them. She feels the blush cover her cheeks instantly. Hope grins at her, like she knows she just won. "Fine! I'll go with you." Josie's voice softens. "Thank you Hope."

 

Josie leans in to kiss Hope's cheek to thank her, but just as her lips are about to make contact with Hope's skin, the door opens. It startles both girls and they quickly move away from each other. Caroline and Alaric are soon followed inside by none other than Damon Salvatore, Elena Gilbert and Stephanie Salvatore. They all quickly realize what they stumbled upon. Caroline and Elena share a smile, Damon and Stephanie are both smirking at them and Alaric looks pissed.

 

"Girls, you both know you're not allowed to see each other unless we authorize it. It's exams season and-"

 

Damon cuts him off. "Rick, please! This rule is ridiculous. They're teenagers, of course they're gonna see each other if you tell them not to."

 

"Damon, please don't interfere." Alaric pleads to his friend.

 

Damon grimaces his sorry to the girls, signaling he did his best.

 

"I'm sorry Mr. Saltzman." Hope quickly starts. "I didn't mean to break your rule. I just had something to give to Josie and then I was gonna be on my way."

 

"Did you give it to her?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Then say goodbye." Alaric says.

 

Hope clenches her jaw. Josie's father was mostly a pain in the ass. She gives him a tight-lipped smile and turns to Josie. She's surprised to see the brunette is fuming.

 

"This is so unfair! I should get to see Hope at least once a week. Lizzie can see MG at school everyday, I don't get that. She was barely here for two minutes."

 

Hope feels how tense everybody is, and she quickly makes the choice to end the fight there.

 

"It's fine Josie, I'll go." She sees Josie's about to protest, so Hope prepares herself to assure her it's fine, but Caroline's voice stops the both of them.

 

"Actually, you can stay Hope. Josie, sweetie, just put your books back in your room and then spend some quality time with your girlfriend. You deserve it."

 

"Caroline!" Alaric protests.

 

"We'll talk about this later Alaric." Caroline says with a glare.

 

Josie's face lights up. "Thank you so much mom!" She looks back at Hope. "Did you have something else to do or..."

 

"No, I was just gonna go back home."

 

"Wanna stay and hang out?" Josie says.

 

The hopeful look on Josie's face makes Hope soften immediately. She was so weak when it came to her brunette (girl)friend. "Sure."

 

Then Hope proceeds to take her shoes and coat off, as soon as it's done, Josie grabs her hand and leads her back to the living room.

 

"Josie! Don't forget that Stephanie's here too." Caroline calls out after her.

 

"We'll be back in a minute, promise!" Josie replies.

 

Josie quickly gathers her books from the table, stops her music and go back to grab the books she just gathered. Hope already has half the books in her hands, so Josie shoots her a thankful smile before leading her to her room. As soon as they get through the door, Lizzie's head snaps up. She looks like she just saw a ghost.

 

"Damn it Josie! Can't you like knock or something? You almost gave me a heart attack."

 

"You want me to knock on my own bedroom door?"

 

"Yes!" Lizzie says with a light glare.

 

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? Next time, I'll text you before coming up."

 

Lizzie nods. "Sounds good. What is Hope doing here?"

 

"She came to tell me she got us tickets to see 'Of Monsters and Men', can you believe it? I'm so excited to see them again!"

 

Hope realizes how Josie's excitement puts a soft smile on her twin's face. Some changes were happening in the twins relationships. Lizzie was more careful, a lot more attentive, and even a little nicer. Hope could see how Josie is now more open, more free and even more happy. Knowing how important the twins were to each other, so to see their relationship getting better was a relief.

 

"I'm happy for you, but you should be careful. Mom and dad should be home soon, I wouldn't want you two to be in trouble."

 

"They're already home actually."

 

Lizzie winces. "And you're still here?" Lizzie addresses Hope.

 

"Your mom said I could stay."

 

"Dad is pissed." Josie adds.

 

Lizzie's eyes grow wide. "Mom and dad disagreed on something?"

 

"Yeah! I was shocked too. Anyway, Stephanie's here with her parents. Do you wanna join us? We could watch a movie or something."

 

Lizzie shurgs. "Why not, it will be better than to study all night. My brain can't take it anymore. My history homework is killing me."

 

"I could help if you want. I mean, I'm a year older than you. I've already did what you're doing now, and I'm a pretty good student." Hope speaks up.

 

Lizzie raises a brow in surprise. "You'd do that?"

 

Hope smiles. "I'm not the monster you think I am Lizzie. Of course I'd help if you need it."

 

"I don't... I mean, thank you Hope. I'll keep that in mind."

 

"It's good to see you both try to get along. It makes me really happy." Josie says with a small smile.

 

Hope turns around to look at Josie, and when she's faced with her fake girlfriend's beautiful smile, Hope can't help but smile too. After that, they all get back downstairs and in the living room. There they find Stephanie laying on the couch, obviously really comfortable already. Lizzie immediately moves to the end of the couch where Stephanie's feet are. She lifts them, sits down and put the girl's feet in her lap. Hope and Josie walk to the loveseat they've learned to share. Josie cuddles into Hope's side and the auburn haired girl immediately puts an arm around the brunette's shoulders, pulling her closer in the process. Both girls seemed to just settle in like it's the most normal thing to do, like they didn't almost spend two weeks apart. It take everything within Josie not to bury her face in Hope's neck and breathe in the faint smell of oranges that always seems to follow the older girl. As for Hope, she has a hard time not looking down at Josie's pink lips as the younger girl leans her head on her shoulder.

 

Stephanie makes a gagging sound. "You guys are gross."

 

"You're just saying that cause you're single." Josie says with a giggle.

 

Stephanie smirks. "Maybe. Anyway, tell me everything now."

 

"About what?"

 

"Don't play dumb Saltzman, you're way too smart for that. Now spill."

 

Josie opens her mouth, but she doesn't know what to say, so Hope jumps in. "We met at a game. I was playing against Lizzie, but honestly the only thing I can remember from this game is the beautiful girl I spotted in the bleachers."

 

Josie looks at Hope, shocked that the older girl made a whole story up so quickly. Lizzie is clearly impressed, and Stephanie is still wearing that damn smirk.

 

"Did you meet before Landon dumped your ass?"

 

"Stephanie!" Josie scolds.

 

"It's fine love. Yes, we did, but nothing happened before that."

 

Stephanie rolls her eyes. "Of course nothing happened. Josie would never do something like that."

 

"It's just that... I know people have been talking. Just making it clear that I didn't cheat on Landon. He's the only one who cheated."

 

"Yeah, I heard about that. I also heard about how you punched Dana because of it. Why didn't you get suspended for that?"

 

Hope clenches her jaw. "I have something on Dana, she knows she'd be in trouble if she said anything about it."

 

They continue talking for a good hour before they get interrupted by Elena telling them dinner is almost ready. They invite Hope to have dinner with them, but the auburn haired girl politely declines, Keelin and Freya were waiting for her. Hope takes the time to say good bye to everyone, and when she walks to the door leading outside the house, Josie isn't far behind. They don't talk as Hope puts her coat ans shows on. It's only when Hope is finally ready to go that Josie decides to break the silence.

 

"Thank you again, for the ticket." Josie says with a cheery smile. "I'm really happy we got to spend time together, I missed you."

 

As soon as the word are out, a blush covers Josie's cheeks and she looks down, almost like she regretted saying it. But the words are like a wave of happinness crashing on Hope. Her smile is wide when she opens her mouth to speak.

 

"I missed you too."

 

It seems like they wanted to do the same thing at the same time, because both girls lean in to kiss the other's cheek. The only thing is they end up kissing each other's lips instead. When their lips touch, there's a moment of stillness. Like neither is realizing what is happening. Then, they both pull apart, and can't meet each other's eyes. Too shy to address what happened, Hope says a quick goodbye, and without waiting for a reply she gets out of the house. Josie watches, dumbfounded, as Hope makes a quick exit.

 

*****

 

Hope locks herself away in her art room as soon as she gets home. At first she paces around, trying to calm herself. Then she scolds herself for what happened. Now Josie would be uncomfortable with her... great, just great. After a moment, her fingers lightly touches her lips. The kiss had been so chaste and innocent. It left Hope's lips tingling, and her heart racing. Hope thinks about painting Josie for a moment, just to get it out of her system. But then she decides she needs a plan if she wants to get the girl for real. Hope dials Penelope's number.

 

"Hope, can I call you back later? I'm kind of in the middle of some-"

 

Hope cuts her off. "No! Please Penelope, you need to help me. I'm a mess right now."

 

Hope hears Penelope put her hand on the phone's speaker, then her voice is muffled. "Yeah, it's Hope. Sorry, but it seems important. I'll make it up to you babe." Then Penelope's voice is back to normal. "What's going on?"

 

"I'm falling in love with Josie and I need help transforming my fake relationship into a real one."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DON'T BE MAD AT ME BECAUSE IT'S SHORT! 
> 
> At least it was cute, right?
> 
> Next chapter will be longer... I SWEAR!


	14. please, just let me in

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have any excuses for my disapearance. This chapter was soooo hard to write. I wrote and rewrote it. I just hope it doesn't suck 🤷♀️
> 
> Enjoy my people.
> 
> By the way, your comments are always so lovely... I love you all guys.

From Penelope:

 

_Look, I know which week it is, and I know you won't answer this. Just promise me to call Josie. Don't shut her out. Tell her what's happening, or don't. Just call her Hope._

 

_I love you btw..._

 

Hope reads the messages again and again. They've been sent two hours ago. Even if it's noon, on a Monday, Hope is still under the covers of her bed. Her eyes are red and puffy, a clear sign that she cried herself to sleep, only to wake up and cry again. She knows she should call Josie, but she just can't bring herself to do so. After reading Penelope's messages for another time, Hope puts her phone on her nightstand. She brings her knees to her chest and hugs them thight as new tears start falling on her cheeks.

 

"You're such a coward." Hope tells herself through a sob.

 

*****

 

"We should all go bowling on Saturday." Lizzie suggest with a wide smile at lunch. At Josie and MG's side glance, Lizzie rolls her eyes. "Come on! It'll help us bond again. Our trio is not what it used to be."

 

Josie shrugs. "Okay, but I want Hope to come. And, I want her to invite her friends too."

 

Lizzie whines. "Jo..."

 

"It's the only thing I'm asking for. Accept or not, but it's the only thing that'll make me come."

 

"It's fine then!" MG smiles widely. "At least we'll spend some time together."

 

Josie gives them a smile and nods. She gets her phone from the pocket of her jacket and quickly sends a text to Hope.

 

To Hope:

 

_Lizzie, MG and I are going bowling on Saturday. Wanna come? You can invite Penelope and Amanda too :)_

 

Josie puts the phone on the table, focusing on the new conversation her sister started while she was texting Hope. Minutes pass and she doesn't receive a reply from Hope. She tries to listen to Lizzie, but she can't help but sneak a glance at her phone every two minutes. Hope would have usually answered by now. Even after their accidental kiss of the other night, Hope hadn't ignored her. As Josie makes her way to her class after lunch, she gets the feeling that maybe something's wrong.

 

*****

 

Josie has a hard time waking up when she hears her phone ring. She opens her eyes, thinking for a moment that she's still in a dream, but when the ring starts again, she understands she's awake. She quickly opens the light on her nightstand. For a moment she's worried about waking Lizzie up, but the blonde is sleeping so deeply that she's snoring. So Josie takes her phone, and immediately frowns when she sees Hope is calling her. Worry settles quickly, so she answers the call.

 

"Hello?"

 

"I woke you up, didn't I?" Hope's voice is small, almost sounds broken.

 

Josie sits up straighter on her bed. "Don't worry about that. What's wrong?"

 

"I... nothing."

 

"Hope, you're calling me at two in the morning, it can't be for nothing." Josie softly tries.

 

"I... I can't talk about it. I just... I can't. Please don't force me." Hope sounds like she's on the verge of tears, and it breaks Josie's heart.

 

"It's okay, you don't have to talk. I didn't mean to be pushy." Josie bites her lip, unsure about what she should do. "Tell me what I can do."

 

"Can you just... talk? Your voice, it's soothing."

 

Josie softens at Hope's hesitant request. "Do you wanna hear one of my favorite childhood memories?"

 

"Yes."

 

"When I was seven, I started to notice I looked nothing like Caroline. I tried to find a thing, just one thing, that would make us seem alike, but I couldn't find one. Lizzie, on the other hand, was just like Caroline. So, I started to think Lizzie and I weren't really twins. I thought my parents adopted me or something. I went to my father, crying my eyes out and asked him who my real mother was. He was so shocked, I think his heart stopped for a second. He couldn't even answer himself. So Caroline came in and explained everything to Lizzie and I. That's when my relationship with Caroline got stronger, and that's also when I started to learn things about my birth mother, Jo. I still remember that day like it happened yesterday."

 

Josie doesn't hear anything on the other end of the call. She's not sure, but she thinks Hope might have fallen asleep.

 

"Good night Hope."

 

"Don't hang up!" Hope is quick to reply. "Thank you, for sharing that with me."

 

"It was my pleasure. Do you want me to keep talking?"

 

"No. You should go back to sleep, there's school tomorrow." Hope takes a deep breath, so Josie waits in case the older girl has something else to say. "Thank you for this. I really needed it."

 

"I'm one call away, don't hesitate."

 

"I lo-... I mean, I really care about you Josie. "

 

Josie isn't sure if what she almost heard is what she thinks Hope was about to say. Her heart skips a beat, and it takes her a couple of seconds to reply.

 

"I really care about you too." Josie bites her lip, she's so worried that a knot is forming in her stomach. "Are you sure you're okay?"

 

"I will be."

 

"Hope-"

 

"Goodnight."

 

Then the line goes silent, and Josie hears the sound meaning that Hope ended the call. Josie quickly dials Hope's number. It rings until it reaches Hope's voicemail, so Josie tries again. Hope never picks up the phone. Josie's so worried that silent tears start to fall from her eyes. She feels so helpless that she does the only thing she can think about. She gets up from her bed and quickly walk to her twin. She gently shakes Lizzie until the blonde wakes up.

 

"What the fu-" Lizzie stops herself when she finally gets a good look at Josie's face. "Why are you crying? Are you okay?"

 

"I told you Hope wasn't answering my texts yesterday, right?" Josie doesn't wait for an answer. "She just called me."

 

"At 2 am?"

 

"Yeah. Something's wrong Lizzie. I don't know what's happening, but she was almost crying on the phone and she barely talked. Then she hanged up abruptly and when I tried to call her again she didn't pick up the phone."

 

"Look, I know you're worried, but I don't think there's something you can do now. Come here." Lizzie takes Josie's hand and tugs on it, until Josie gives in and lays in her twin's arms. "We'll go to her place tomorrow after school. I'll take care of everything, I'll even convince dad to let you go."

 

Josie quickly turns around to face Lizzie. Josie's eyes are wide and she shakes her head. "No, I can't wait until after school! You have to bring me there tomorrow morning."

 

Lizzie's about to protest, but Josie's pleading look makes her shut her mouth. Lizzie groans and rolls her eyes. "I can't believe you're gonna make me do that. Dad's gonna kill us."

 

Josie's face softens, then she lays her head on her sister's chest. Lizzie is quick to pull Josie in a tight embrace. They don't speak anymore, Josie cries silently and Lizzie tries her best to comfort her.

 

*****

 

When Lizzie stops the car in the driveway of Hope's house, Josie immediately notices that there's a lot of cars there. She recognizes some of them; Hope's, Freya's, Keelin's... She's not sure about the others though.

 

"I'll wait for you here." Lizzie says.

 

"Yeah, I'll text you if I stay."

 

"Dad will be pissed if you skip the whole day."

 

"I don't care." Josie answers before stepping out of the car.

 

Josie walks to door and only hesitates for a second before ringing the doorbell. She only waits for a handful of seconds before the door opens. Freya looks like she hasn't slept much in the last few days. It also looks like she's been crying a lot, but still she forces a smile when she greets Josie.

 

"Oh, hi Josie."

 

"Hi Freya." Josie gives a little smile.

 

Freya is quick to speak again. "What are you doing here sweet heart? Shouldn't you be in school?"

 

Josie fidgets a little. "Uh, yes. I received a call from Hope during the night. She didn't sound well, and she hung up quickly. I tried calling her again, but she didn't pick the phone up. I'm really worried."

 

Rebekah appears from the living room. She looks surprised as she walks closer to them. "Hope called you last night."

 

"Yes. She didn't say much, but it sounded like she'd been crying."

 

The two women share a look. After a couple of seconds, Rebekah looks down and shakes her head before looking back at Josie again.

 

"She's not in a good place right now, just give her some time, she'll come back to you next week." Rebekah finally says.

 

Rebekah's words light a fire within Josie, and she's quick to react.

 

"No." Josie shakes her head. "I'm her girlfriend and I should be here if she needs me. I won't go unless she directly asks me to."

 

Rebekah looks about to argue, but Freya quickly puts a hand up, signaling her to keep her mouth shut. "She's either in her bedroom or in her art room. She might not talk to you, maybe she won't let you in either. I'll go upstairs with you, and make sure we respect what she wants."

 

"She doesn't want to see anyone during this week, and you know it Freya!" Rebekah protests. "Even Penelope isn't allowed in the house."

 

"Well, Hope can't keep pushing everyone away! She needs to let someone in."

 

Rebekah glares at her sister for a couple of seconds before storming out of the hallway and back into the living room.

 

"Come on in Josie." Freya says with an inviting smile.

 

"Thank you."

 

Josie follows Freya upstairs. She has a ton of questions she wants to ask, but she doesn't dare to. The Mikaelson women had been really careful with their choice of words around Josie, so the brunette knew that whatever was happening, she'd have to get it out of Hope. Freya quickly explain to Josie that Hope is not in her room, because there's no music playing from there. So they both walk to the art room. As soon as they stand outside of the room, Josie hears a familiar voice coming out of the room. She recognizes one of the many songs she made Hope listen to since they met.

 

Freya loudly knocks on the door to make sure Hope hears her. "Hope, sweetie, please turn the music down." The response is fast, because a second later, Josie can barely hear the beautiful voice of Luca Fogale. "Josie is here. She says you called her last night. She's very worried love." Hope doesn't answer. Freya sighs. "Speak up if you don't wanna see her, if you don't speak I'll let her stay."

 

To Freya's surprise, the door opens. Freya hasn't seen her niece in two days. Hope had stayed in her bedroom, or in her art room for all this time. She waited until everyone was either asleep or gone to go downstairs and get some food. Hope briefly glances at her aunt before her eyes fall on Josie.

 

"Why are you here?" Hope's voice is hoarse, a clear that she hasn't used it much in the last few days.

 

"I needed to see you, I was worried."

 

"I'm fine, you can go now." Hope says before attempting to close the door.

 

Josie quickly puts a hand on the door, keeping Hope from closing it. "No way! Please, just let me in."

 

Hope looks away from Josie. "Not now, please Josie."

 

Freya steps in. "She doesn't want you to stay, we agreed to respect her wishes."

 

Josie quickly looks at Freya before looking back at Hope. "Let me be there for you. You don't need to face whatever you're facing alone."

 

Hope's eyes widen a little and they fill with tears. She closes her eyes and shakes her head. Freya puts a gentle hand on Josie's shoulder.

 

"It's enough. We tried, and it failed. Now, come on."

 

This time Josie lets Freya guide her away from the art room. As they're walking towards the stairs, Josie sneaks a glance back at the door. She's met with Hope's blue eyes staring right back at her. Hope doesn't make a move to stop them, so Josie turns her head around again and willingly follows Freya downstairs. She's almost done with tying her shoes when Hope comes running downstairs. It alarms all the Mikaelsons in the house, so everyone comes running in the hallway leading to the front door. Hope looks like she wants to run away upstairs for a minute, but she doesn't.

 

"I won't be the best company right now." Hope blurts out.

 

"It's okay." Josie says with a little smile. "You don't even have to talk if you don't want to."

 

Hope walks down the two steps that were left and walks closer to Josie. The brunette quickly takes her shoes off again. Then, Hope reaches for Josie's hand before leading to her room under the incredulous looks of every member of the Mikaelson family. When they walk in Hope's room, Josie notices that the usual very clean room is a mess. There's drawing everywhere on the floor. Some are just laying there, others have been scrunched up in balls. Some plates and glasses are left on Hope's desk and clothes are everywhere.

 

"I'm sorry for the mess."

 

"Don't be." Josie tugs a little bit on Hope's hand that she was still holding. Hope gets a little closer to Josie. "Can I hug you?"

 

Instead of replying, Hope steps even closer and hugs Josie herself. Hope buries her head in Josie's neck and the brunette quickly feels the wetness of Hope's tears on her skin. At that, Josie only hugs Hope tighter. They stay like that for a while, just hugging each other. Hope's face doesn't leave Josie's neck, and Josie softly plays with Hope's hair. The slow and and careful touch is enough to calm Hope down.

 

"Do you wanna lay down? You look exhausted." Josie softly says in Hope's ear.

 

Hope shrugs, but doesn't protest as Josie leads her to the bed. Hope quickly gets under the covers, but Josie doesn't follow her.

 

"Your aunt said that music helps you a lot these days, do you want me to put some music on?"

 

Hope nods, so Josie puts music on. She looks through her phone and quickly choose a calm playlist. Sounds of guitars and piano fills the air. Josie turns around and leans on the desk. She sends a quick text to Lizzie, telling her twin to go to school.

 

"Are you going to come lay down with me, or not?" Hope asks.

 

Josie giggles a little before walking to the bed. As soon as she's under the covers, Hope gets closer to Josie and cuddles into her. Josie's arms are quick to embrace Hope. It takes about an hour for either of them to say a word.

 

"My parents died three years ago now." Hope suddenly drops.

 

Just like that, Josie understands everything. When they had met, Hope explained that her parents had died two years ago. If now she said it was three years ago, it could only mean that it was the anniversary of their death. Josie doesn't know what to say, so she only holds Hope a little tighter.

 

"I prefer to stay alone during this week. I don't want anyone to see me like this, I don't wanna be a burden."

 

"You're not a burden Hope. I want to be here, and I won't let you push me away anymore."

 

"I- I can't push you away anymore. I can't be like that with you. You're breaking all my barricades and it makes me so afraid you'll leave me defenseless."

 

"You don't need those barricades anymore. I'll make sure you'll never need them again." Josie leaves a light kiss on Hope's forehead. "I love you Hope."

 

Hope doesn't say it back, but the way her hold tightens on Josie is the only answer the brunette needs.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think of this one... It was kinda sad, but necessary. It got them to be even closer than before. They're falling even harder than they think.


	15. dance with me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much fluff my friends... I hope you're ready.

On Friday, Hope still hasn't been to school. However, she stopped crying her eyes out everyday. She spends time with her family, and doesn't lock herself in her room or the art room. She even called Penelope the day before. The time she spent with Josie had helped her a lot. In a way, Hope feels like she can heal now. She understands that even if people don't know what she exactly feels, they can still help her to feel better. Hope talks to Josie everytime she can. They talk on the phone, text each other and even facetime. Hope was glad to hear that Josie hadn't been grounded after she skipped a whole day of school. The last thing she wanted was to cause Josie any trouble.

Hope rolls in bed as Josie's words echo in her head. I love you... It keeps coming back to Hope. She wanted to say them back so badly, but she was afraid they wouldn't mean them in the same way. How embarrassing would it be if Josie only loved her as a friend? Hope groans, buries her face in her pillow and then screams. Her relationship with the younger girl was driving her crazy. She just wanted them to be together for real. An idea suddenly comes to Hope. The auburn haired girl quickly gets up from her bed. She speeds out of her room and down the stairs. She goes straight to the living room where her whole family was already reunited.

"I need your help." Hope quickly blurts out when she comes into the room.

Almost all the Mikaelson's in the room jump at her appearance. Davina even spills some of her coffee on Kol. This causes a commotion, and it quickly irritates Hope.

"Everybody, please!" Every head turn in her direction. "I'm not really dating Josie. Landon broke up with me, and then two weeks later he was already dating a girl on my volleyball team, Dana. In fact, he had been cheating on me with her for a while, but that doesn't matter. Penelope said that I should make him jealous, so I asked Josie to fake date me. We've been a fake couple ever since. The thing is, I fell in love with her for real and now I don't know what to do."

A silence fills the room when Hope is done talking. After a couple of seconds Rebekah claps once.

"I knew something was up!" Rebekah glares at Freya. "You never believe me."

"They really looked in love!" Freya tries to defend herself.

"Can you two stop fighting and find some kind of advice to give me?" Hope pleads. "Should I just give up?"

"What?" Keelin says. "No way. That girl can't be acting. I'm a 100% sure she's in love with you too."

"One thing is sure, she cares about you a lot. She was so worried when she came here this week." Freya adds.

Hope softens as she remembers the day she spent snuggled with Josie in her bed. The younger girl was an amazing cuddler.

Rebekah rolls her eyes. "Our niece has it bad. Look at her dumb smile when we mention her girl."

Hope blushes and does her best to glare at her aunt. "Stop teasing me or I'm never telling you anything again."

"Just tell her how you feel little one." Marcel says with an encouraging smile.

"I don't know if I can." Hope says before looking at the ground, feeling shy all of a sudden.

"Then show her." He says. "Take her hand in yours when there's no one around. Be a little more affectionate than usual. Kiss her when you're ready."

"Marcel's right." Freya speaks up. "You know what they say : actions speak louder than words."

Hope lets the words sink in. She thinks about it for a moment, and then she nods.

"You're right, I'll do that. Thank you, you're the best!"

Then Hope quickly leaves the room and rushes upstairs. She's halfway up the stairs when she thinks about something. She goes back downstairs and to the living room again. All eyes are on her again.

"I think I'll go out tomorrow night. Josie invited me to go bowling with her and other people. Is that okay?"

Freya's face softens and she can't help the relieved expression that takes place on her face. "Of course. Don't stay out too late, and be careful."

Hope smiles. "Don't worry, everything will be alright!"

*****

Hope parks her car in the parking lot of the bowling complex. She stops the engine, but before she can get out of her car, Penelope's voice stops her.

"I can't believe you're dragging us into this. Bowling, you can't be serious Hope. You're a disaster at this game."

Hope frowns. "I'm not that bad!"

"Last time we were here, you threw a fit cause you lost the game, pretty badly if I might add. You're a sore looser. Do you really want Josie to see this side of you?" Penelope asks with a teasing smile.

Hope narrows her eyes. "I hate you."

Without another word Hope gets out of the car, soon followed by Penelope and Amanda. The auburn haired girl quickly spots Josie, Lizzie and MG waiting by the door of the complex. They look like they're freezing, but they look happy. Lizzie and Josie's arms are linked and they look closer than Hope has ever seen them. MG is smiling real big as he seems to be telling some kind of story to his favorite girls. Hope almost feels guilty to interrupt them when she walks closer. The feeling quickly disapears when Josie's eyes catch hers, and the brunette's smile gets a little bigger than it had been. She leaves Lizzie's side and walks to Hope with that smile never leaving her face. As soon as they are close enough, they hug each other. Hope is quick to bury her face in Josie's neck, and Josie's arms circle Hope's waist only to pull her closer.

"I'm so happy you decided to come." Josie's lips brush Hope's ear as she speaks, and it makes Hope shiver. "You must be freezing, you're shivering. Let's get inside."

Hope almost tells her that the cold is not the reason why she's shivering, but instead she lets Josie pull away from her and gives her a little smile and a shrug.

"It's good to see you Penelope, you too Amanda."

The two girls return the sentiment before they all move inside the complex. As soon as they walk in, Hope is assaulted by the noises and the lights. She spent a whole week locked up in her house, so this kind of attack made her really uncomfortable.

"Are you okay?" Josie is quick to ask.

Hope closes her eyes for a moment. "Uh, yeah. I'll just step back outside for a moment."

Without waiting for an answer Hope steps out of the building. The cold air of November is comforting when she steps outside. Hope goes to the right side of the door and sits on the bench there. She takes her head in her hands and closes her eyes again. She takes deep breaths to calm herself down. When she opens her eyes, she's met with Josie's warm brown eyes. The younger girl has a worried frown on her face as she stands in front of Hope.

"Maybe this wasn't a good idea. We could all just leave and go watch a movie or something."

Hope quickly straightens herself. "What? No. I'm just... I didn't think it'd be so loud. I didn't see a lot of people in the last week, so it was kinda overwhelming. I'll be fine. I just need a minute to... breathe."

Josie nods and carefully goes to sit on the bench on Hope's right side.The brunette doesn't say a word, she leaves space for Hope to collect herself while remaining by her side in case she needs it. Soon enough, Hope feels good again, but she hesitates to tell Josie so. Maybe this will be the only alone time they'll share that night. From the corner of her eyes, Hope notices that Josie's hand is laying flat on the bench. Hope swallows hard as she gathers the courage to make a move. Slowly, she moves her own hand on the bench. When Hope's pinky brushes Josie's, Hope stops for a second. She wants to give Josie time to react, just to see if the brunette will pull away. After a couple of seconds, Josie's pinky moves to link with Hope's. Hope's breath itches. As she takes a deep breath to steady herself, Hope makes the next move. She unlinks their pinkies, only to intertwine their fingers together. The action makes both girls sigh in contentement. Neither of them dares to look at the other. They just sit there, holding hands in the cold November air.

"Girls, is everything okay?" MG says, making them both look at him like they've been caught doing something they shouldn't have been doing. "Everyone's kinda worried."

"We'll be with you in a moment." Josie says with a smile.

MG smiles. "Ok, cool."

Then he's going back inside. Josie sighs and looks at Hope with a smile. "Ready?"

"Yeah."

Josie stands up and and tugs on Hope's hand that she's still holding. Hope giggles as she stands up. As they are both walking back into the bowling complex, Hope smiles to herself, because they're still holding hands. When they join their friends, Hope quickly sees that Penelope noticed their linked hands.

"You could have told us you wanted some time alone." Penelope teases them.

Hope glares at Penelope, and before she can say something, Josie squeezes her hand. Penelope only smirks at her, knowing full well Hope is pissed.

"Let's divise the two teams, shall we?" Josie says with a cheerful smile.

"What? The teams are already divided." Lizzie protests. "It's us against them."

"Well, I kinda thought-" Josie tries.

Penelope cuts her off. "Let's do this! Oh and believe me Jojo, you wouldn't want Hope on your team. Bowling is like the only thing she sucks at."

As soon as she hears Penelope's words, Lizzie's eyes start to shine. The words have a whole other effect on MG, as he starts laughing.

"Josie sucks at it too!"

Josie and Hope look at each other and exchange sheepish smiles. With that being said, they all walk to the counter to get their bowling shoes. After that, they're being guided to their bowling lane. They quickly settle in their booth and start playing. After a couple of rounds, turns out that Lizzie and Penelope are pretty equals when it comes to bowling. As for Josie and Hope, well the auburn haired girl's mood is kinda sour when it turns out she's the worst player in their group. As their game is finally coming to an end, Hope sighs in relief, only to groan when Lizzie calls for a rematch when she loses against Penelope.

"Play if you want to, but I'm not playing another game. My feet are killing me, and this game sucks."

"It will be without me too." Josie says. "Then the teams are even again."

Hope frowns. "Did you want to keep playing? I can play if you-"

"No, don't worry about it. I hate this game too." Josie says with a wink.

Hope hopes that the room is dark enough to cover the blush that is sure covering her cheeks. She smiles and nods her head before getting up.

"Wanna get something to eat with me?" Hope asks as she offers her hand to Josie.

The brunette smiles and reaches for Hope's hand as she gets up. "Sure."

They walk hand in hand to the food counter. They both look at the menu for a moment. Hope hesitates between sweet or salty. She sees that Josie's eyes aren't leaving the cotton candy behind the counter.

"I'll take a large popcorn, a cotton candy and a blue slushie please. Did you want something to drink?" Hope asks Josie.

"Hope, I can pay for my drink."

"I know." Hope says with a nod. "But I want to get it for you."

Josie smiles a little. "A red slushie please."

The guy behind the counter quickly gives them their order, and soon enough the girls are on their way back to their booth. They put their things on the table and then Josie speaks up.

"How did you know I wanted cotton candy?"

Hope shrugs. "I care enough to pay attention. Your eyes were glued on them."

Josie's eyes softens for a moment, only to brighten a second later. Then she's running off and Hope quickly tries to follow. As soon as her eyes lay on the old jukebox, Hope smiles fondly. Josie's love for music had no barriers. When Hope joins Josie, the brunette already put a coin in the machine and is looking through the songs. Hope silently watches as Josie flips through the songs, a fond smile on her face. Then Hope looks at the song Josie chose when the brunette pushes the buttong to activate the song.

_Echosmith – Tell her you love her_

"Dance with me." Josie asks as she bites her lower lip while she smiles.

Hope smiles and nods. Josie pulls her to the tiny dance floor. The songs starts softly and they dance to follow the rythm. Josie seems carefree, and happy. But Hope can't help but notice the lyrics of the song. Somehow, they seem awfully close to how she feels about Josie. It's only when the chorus hits, and Josie pulls her in a more energetic dance that Hope lets herself be free.

When the song ends, they both get back to the booth they share with their friends. If everyone noticed their little dance, no one said a thing about it. Hope sits back in the middle of the booth. Instead of going back to sit by MG and Lizzie, Josie decides to sit by Hope. She sits so close to Hope, that their entire sides are pressed against each other. Neither of them move to put some space between them. They silently enjoy the closeness. It's not long before the second game is over, and the group decides to call it a night. They all say their goodnight at the door. When it's time for Josie and Hope to say goodbye, they hug for a little too long, but they don't mention it. They walk away from each other and back to their respective cars. Both girls turn around to watch the other walk away, but not at the same time. So they are both left wondering if the other cared enough to look back.

*****

Later that night, as Hope is laying on her bed, she's been listening to the Jukebox song for an hour. The lyrics are hitting her harder than when they were dancing on the tiny dance floor of the bowling complex.

_When she says she needs you_   
_Tell her you need her too_   
_You tell her clearly_   
_Speak while your heart wants you to_

Soon, she would tell Josie exactly what she feels.

*****

Josie sinks under the covers of her bed, exhausted from her night out. She was relieved to see Hope seemed a lot better than when she had seen her in the begining of the week. Josie is glad the light is already off, because she knows a deep blush is covering her cheeks as she thinks about the moment she shared with Hope at the begining of the night. Josie's heart almost stopped when she felt Hope's pinky brush hers. Then they held hands, and Josie's stomach was filled with butterflies. She wonders if Hope is aware of the effect she has on her, or if she's totally oblivious to it. At the end of the night, Josie was dying to kiss Hope, but she didn't. Because they weren't a real thing. Because Hope would have freaked out.

As Josie puts her earphones in and goes through the songs on her phone, she quickly find the one she was looking for. For the second time that night, Echosmith's song comes on to explain every little thing Josie is feeling. If only Hope had understood why Josie had chosen this song.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had so much fun writing this chapter! I hope you liked it. ❤🙈


	16. Roman is in town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're so gonna hate me for this one 😈😈😈
> 
> Enjoy 😂😂😂

"What are you doing here? I thought you were going to watch movies with Hope today." Lizzie asks.

 

Josie doesn't even sit up in her bed. She stays there, laying down on her back. Her eyes never leave the ceiling, but she forces herself to answer her sister's question.

 

"She ditched me." Josie says in a sigh. Then she adds an explanation with a little more venom. "Roman is in town."

 

Lizzie frowns. "Who's Roman? Your jealousy is showing by the way."

 

"I'm not jealous!" Josie quickly protests as she sits up in bed to glare at her twin. "Roman is a friend of Hope's, nothing more."

 

Lizzie decides to tease Josie a little. "Still, she ditched you to be with him."

 

Josie groans. "I know! But she has her reasons. Like the fact that he lives in England now and comes here just to see her. They haven't seen each other in over a year, and she got so excited when he called to say he was coming this week end." Josie's eyes widen. "Oh my god, Lizzie are they in love?"

 

Lizzie rolls her eyes. "I thought I was the dramatic twin. They're friends, you said so yourself a few seconds ago."

 

"But what if-"

 

"Stop this now." Lizzie interrupts Josie. "You should spare yourself and tell Hope how you feel. If she feels the same, you two can be together for real. If she doesn't... Well, you can move on!"

 

Josie gives Lizzie her fakest smile. "Good advice Liz, thank you." She says very sarcastically.

 

** * **

 

"She's cute." Roman says with a smile. "Since when do you like girls?"

 

"I don't, it's just her." Hope says, her eyes never leaving Josie's picture on her phone. "Josie makes me feel things I haven't felt before. Or things I've felt, but with her it's a thousand times stronger."

 

Roman chuckles and quickly ruffles Hope's hair before pulling her into a hug. Hope giggles and lets him hug her. It was good to have him there. Her relationship with Roman was something Hope wasn't willing to share with most people. He was like a brother. Landon never met him nor did he know Roman existed. Penelope heard of him briefly, but never met him either. She had to tell Josie about him, it was only fair since she ditched their movie day to be with him. Somehow, Roman was her safe space. They knew each other since they were babies. Roman's mother was the childhood best friend of Hope's mother. Roman and Hope grew up together and developped a very deep connection. Unfortunately, his family moved to England when they were both 10 years old. Now they only saw each other every so often.

 

Hope pulls away from the embrace and smiles at her friend.

 

"Can I meet her then?" Roman asks softly, his hand playing with Hope's hair.

 

Hope looks at Roman with a vulnerability he didn't see often in her. "You want to meet Josie."

 

"She's obviously really important to you. Shouldn't I get to give her the shovel talk? From what I heard you've had plenty of those."

 

Hope rolls her eyes. "Yeah, but those who gave me the shovel talk think that Josie and I are a couple. You, on the other hand..." Hope sighs. "Know that all of it is fake."

 

Roman nudges Hope and smiles at her again. "It doesn't have to be. You were brave enough to tell your family and I about your feelings, the only person that's left to tell is Josie."

 

"It could ruin everything." Hope says, very quietly.

 

"Or it could be the start of your always and forever." He says with a wink. "Look, we could go out for once. We always lock ourselves in your room when I visit you. Let's do something fun. Let me meet your friends."

 

"You want to meet everyone." Hope says, surprised. "Most of them don't know about you."

 

"Time to let them know then!" He reaches for Hope's phone on the nightstand and gives it to her. "Call them."

 

Hope rolls her eyes with a smile, amused by Roman's insistance. "Fine! But we're not going out."

 

*****

 

"This house is huge." MG says with wide eyes.

 

Josie giggles and shakes her head. "I know, right? I almost got lost on my way to the bathroom once."

 

They all laugh a little, and when they're done everyone seem to realize that they have to knock now. They all look at each other, trying to figure out who should knock. Soon enough, all eyes are on Josie. The brunette's eyes widen and she wildly shakes her head.

 

"No! No, no, no. No way."

 

Penelope groans. "Fine, I'll do it."

 

Penelope takes a few steps, and stops right in front of the door. She knocks three times and then they all wait. It takes nearly a minute, but then a slightly out of breath Hope opens the door. She smiles as soon as she sees everyone, but her smile gets a little more genuine when her eyes fall on Josie.

 

"Hey everyone! It's so cold outside, come in." Hope invites them, and they all do.

 

All of them, except for Josie. Hope greets everyone as they come inside, and when she notices that her favorite person is staying back outside, it makes her frown.

 

"Aren't you coming in?" Hope calls out.

 

"No." Josie says as she shakes her head. Then she bites her bottom lip. "Could we talk for a second?"

 

Hope swallows hard as her eyes fall on Josie's lips, then she nods. "Sure. Let me put my coat and shoes on."

 

"Okay."

 

Then Hope closes the door, only to open it a couple of seconds later. Her shoes are not laced, and her coat was quickly put on with the zipper still open. Hope walks to Josie with a smile, and the brunette giggles at Hope's weird look. As soon as Hope is close enough, Josie reaches out to zip her coat. It has the effect of making the auburn haired girl blush a light pink.

 

"Like you said earlier, it's cold outside." Josie playfully scolds. Hope smiles, but she doesn't say anything, so Josie decides to speak again. "You changed your mind. About Roman, I mean. You said you wanted to spend time with him, just him."

 

"I... It's not that I didn't want to see you." Hope says.

 

Josie is quick to defend herself, she doesn't want to seem clingy. "I didn't say that! It's just... I don't know."

 

Josie avoids making eye contact with Hope. She was so embarrassed, this wasn't how she wanted this conversation to go.

 

"Look, I'm really happy to introduce you all to Roman. He's like a brother to me, and he should know my friends. Especially you."

 

Hope's last words are said so softly that it takes Josie a lot of restrain to stop herself from kissing her. Instead, she smiles back at Hope.

 

Josie's eyes meet Hope's again and then she sighs. "I missed you."

 

"We saw each other on Saturday." Hope says the smile never leaving her face.

 

"We didn't get... 'us' time."

 

Hope chuckles. "I know. We'll get 'us' time during winter break, I promise."

 

"So, in two weeks. I guess I can handle that."

 

Hope's smile widens. "Good! Now, can we go inside? I'm freezing."

 

Josie smiles and nods. "Sure."

 

Hope's smile widens as she reaches for Josie's hand. Hope intertwines their fingers as she leads Josie into the house. Everyone is still near the door, their conversations stop as Hope and Josie walk inside the house. All their eyes fall on the girls, and they all have different kinds of smiles, but neither Josie or Hope notice. They're still holding hands as they walk into the house. They only let go of each other when they realize they both have to take their coats and shoes off. Josie finishes first and goes to stand farther from the door with the others. Hope has some trouble with her left shoe. So much trouble that she almost ends up falling to the ground, but Roman is quick to steady her. She looks at him with a thankful smile before giggling a little. From her spot, Josie watches them. She hates the feeling that settles within herself. Jealousy is not something she usually feels, but now she can't help herself.

 

"I hope it won't bother you Hope, but we already introduced ourselves." Roman says with a little smile.

 

"Oh, yeah, sorry. Josie and I needed to talk." Hope replies.

 

"You can still introduce me to her." Roman teases with a smirk.

 

"S-sure! Roman, this is Josie, my uh... friend. Josie, this is Roman, he is also my friend."

 

Roman smiles at Josie and moves to give her a hug. She's surprised at first, but then she awkwardly returns the hug.

 

"Sorry, I'm a touchy person." He says as he passes a hand through is long blond hair. "Hope talked about you, like a lot."

 

Both Hope and Josie blush hard as they hear his words. The others just laugh at their embarrassment.

 

"I didn't... I mean, we just spent a lot of time together recently. I guess it's only normal that I talked about you."

 

Hope seems like she wants to keep on rambling, so Penelope decides to put her out of her misery. "So, Hope, are we gonna stay in your hallway for the entire day or..."

 

"What? No! My aunt Freya said we could take the cinema room for the day."

 

Penelope smiles. "Awesome! Come on."

 

Then Penelope turns around and starts to lead the way to the cinema room. They all follow her, first Amanda by Penelope's side, then MG, and Lizzie links her arm with Josie's to gently pull her sister to the cinema room. Roman and Hope are last, and when Josie turns her head around and catches them whispering, her jealousy comes back full force.

 

** * **

 

Josie has to admit that the day is nearing perfection. They're having fun, no one is fighting and Roman is actually a decent guy. The only thing that bothers her is that Hope is sitting on the other end of the room. Everytime they make eye contact, the younger girl feels like she internally dying. Instead of showing anything, Josie smiles and acts like everything is perfect, when in reality she's dying to be with the girl she loves.

 

When, at one point, Roman places his hand on Hope's thigh and she smiles at him, Josie can't take it anymore. She abruptly gets up, and suddenly all eyes are on her.

 

"I'm going to the bathroom." Josie quickly blurts out before bolting out of the room.

 

Josie doesn't know if there's a bathroom downstairs, so she decides to go to the one that's upstairs. She finds the red door with no difficulties, and quickly hides herself in the bathroom. Tears of frustration and anger stream down her face. She quickly wipes them off with the sleeve of her way too large grey sweater. She barely has the time to collect herself before there's a knock on the door.

 

"Josie?" Hope's worried voice comes through the door. "Are you okay? Yo-you seemed upset."

 

"Uh, I'm fine."

 

"Please, open the door."

 

So Josie does. Hope's eyes quickly scan Josie's face, and what she sees there pushes her to pull Josie in a tight hug. They don't say anything for a couple of seconds, until Hope can't take it anymore.

 

"What's wrong? Did someone do or say something?"

 

"No, I just... I needed to get away from-" Josie stops herself. She can't exactly tell Hope that she hates the way she acts with Roman. "Everyone. I needed some air."

 

Hope doesn't look convinced, but she still nods. "Okay. Are you ready to go back?"

 

"No." Josie shakes her head. "Would you mind if I just stayed in your art room for a while? I think it's so peaceful."

 

Hope's face softens. "Of course not. I'll stay with you until you're ready to go back."

 

"No! You have guests over, and there's Roman."

 

"They're all old enough to take care of themselves." Hope protests. "Let's have some 'us' time."

 

Hope takes Josie's hand in hers and gently pulls her out of the bathroom. She doesn't let go of the brunette's hand as they're walking towards the art room. Josie stays close as Hope pushes the door of the room closed after they'd stepped inside. Then, Hope gently takes Josie to the windowsill couch.

 

"Wait a second." Hope tells Josie.

 

The auburn haired girl sits down on the couch with her back to the side of the couch, her legs all spreaded out on the couch. She motions for Josie to come sit with her, and it makes Josie smile a little smile. The younger girl sits between Hope's legs, and rests her back on Hope's front. Hope is quick to embrace Josie, her hands softly resting on the brunette's stomach. For one of the first time that day, Josie feels good. She can smell Hope's faint orange scent. She can feel Hope's fingers tracing a pattern on her stomach, and Hope's breathing on her neck. Josie sighs, and some tension leaves her body.

 

"I can feel you relax." Hope softly says near Josie's ear. "I don't know what made you so tense, but I wish you'd tell me so I could make it stop."

 

"You can't"

 

"You don't know that."

 

Josie breaks out of Hope's embrace and quickly turns around so they're face to face. She gives the auburn haired girl one of the hardest stare she's ever given someone.

 

"I'm not gonna tell you, Hope. Stop pushing." Josie snaps.

 

Hope looks taken aback for a moment. "I-I didn't mean... I'm sorry."

 

Josie's eyes go wide as she realizes how rude she's just been with the girl she loves. They quickly fill with tears again, and suddenly Josie is on her feet. She mutters an apology before trying to flee the room, but Hope is quickly on her feet too. She gently but firmly grabs Josie's foreharm and pulls her in a tight hug.

 

"We won't talk, but please don't try to run away from me again."

 

Josie doesn't move, and she doesn't try to push Hope away. Instead, she puts a little distance between them and puts her arms on Hope's shoulders and links her hands just behind Hope's neck. It seems all too natural when Hope's hands find themselves resting on Josie's waist, pulling her a little closer. They don't know which one started it, but soon enough they are slowly swaying.

 

"I think we're kinda dancing." Hope whispers. "There's no music though."

 

"Gimme a second." Josie says.

 

The brunette reaches for her phone in her jeans pocket. She goes to her ballad playlist and quickly press play, not even caring which song would play. She's wonderfully pleased when the song starts though.

 

"It sounds beautiful." Hope whispers after a couple of lines.

 

The chorus is starting for the second time when their eyes finally connect.

 

_How would you feel?_

_If I told you I love you_

_It's just something that I want to do_

 

For a second, Josie thinks she's lost her mind when she sees Hope leaning in. It takes her about a milisecond to realize this is real. When Hope's lips are almost on hers, Josie closes her eyes and wait for the older girl to officialy close the gap...

 

"Hope! Josie!" Comes Lizzie and Penelope's voices. "Geez, where are you guys?" Lizzie adds.

 

Josie and Hope quickly pull away from each other. Josie does everything she can to avoid looking at Hope. The auburn haired girl moves a little closer.

 

"Josie-"

 

"There you are! Wow this room is beautiful." Lizzie says with wide eyes.

 

Josie immediately looks at Hope. The older girl looks shattered. Josie knows how this room is Hope's secret space. So she's quick to react. She quickly pushes her twin out of the room.

 

"This room is out of reach!" Josie says as she pushes Lizzie out.

 

"Wow, chill-"

 

"No, seriously Lizzie. Hope doesn't want anyone in here."

 

Josie notices that Hope is following them as she escorts Lizzie back downstairs. The brunette turns around, mouths an 'I'm sorry' to Hope before turning back around again. She misses the longing look she receives from Hope as they're walking back to the cinema room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, let's make some things clear.
> 
> Roman is a good guy in this.
> 
> Roman and Hope are only friends.
> 
> Did you like it? 😁


	17. he flirted with me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so first I just want to thank all of you. You always leave lovely comments and constantly support me and this story. I love all of you ❤
> 
> Second, please think of this as a filler chapter. Nothing really happens, it's like a bridge between last chapter and the next one.
> 
> Enjoy!

When they came back to the cinema room that day, Hope decided to sit down next to Josie. Their whole sides were touching even though they had plenty of space on the couch. Josie spent the whole night wondering what it all meant. Was Hope really gonna kiss her in the art room, or did she imagined it all? The way Hope acted for the remaining of the night made it seem like she wanted Josie. The way they were pressed together on the couch, the glances they stole... Even the hug they shared at the end of the night seemed a little too long to be friendly.

 

After Hope has said goodbye to the last one of her guests, Roman and her go to the living room. There, Hope lets herself fall face first on the couch. Roman watches her with a frown, a little confused by her sudden change of mood. Then she's muttering something that he can't quite hear because it's muffled by the couch.

 

"What was that?"

 

"I hate Lizzie and Penelope." Hope says after lifting her head from where it was resting on the couch. "They ruined the perfect moment!"

 

Roman chuckles. "What happened?"

 

Hope sits up on the couch. "I went after Josie because she got me worried when she stormed out of the cinema room. I found her in the bathroon near my bedroom, and I'm pretty sure she went there to cry. The only thing I'm really unsure of is why she was crying. I hugged her and asked what was wrong but she wouldn't answer me. She wouldn't go back downstairs, so we went to my art room. One thing led to another, and soon we were dancing in the middle of the art room on a freaking Ed Sheeran song! I was about to kiss her and I'm like 90% sure she was more than okay with it, but then her sister and Penelope ruined everything!"

 

"Let me guess, you both acted like it didn't happen?" Roman says, taking a seat next to Hope.

 

"I tried not to? I sat next to her, a little too close even. I tried to flirt or whatever, but I don't know. I'm so bad at this. That's why I thought that going straight to kissing her was my best option."

 

"What about telling her how you feel?"

 

Hope glares at her friend. "I'm bad at that too! You give terrible advice."

 

*****

 

"Why are we here again?" Lizzie asks as she looks around the store.

 

"I'm looking for a Christmas gift for Hope." Josie replies, a little concentration frown on her face.

 

"Okay. Second question, what are we looking for exactly?"

 

Josie sighs. "I have no idea. Something that has to do with painting, I guess."

 

So they look through the painting area of the store for a good fifteen minutes. Josie sees everything and it makes her a little confused. Paint, easel, canvas, brushes... So many different things. Did painters really need all of that? Josie is about to give up when a sweet voice speaks from behind her.

 

"Hi, my name is Jed. Could I help you?"

 

Josie quickly turns around to face the boy. He's a little taller than her, brown eyes, black hair, nice smile... Josie feels herself blush under his gaze, and she smiles back at him a little shyly.

 

"Hi, uh, yeah, I think you could. I'm looking for a Christmas gift. My gi- my friend is a painter, and I want to give her something special."

 

Jed smiles as he nods. "A painter... I think we have something that could please you."

 

He motions for Josie to follow him as he starts walking to the other side of the store. Josie frowns as she follows him, they were leaving the painting area behind. However, her eyes widen with joy when she understands where he was taking her. They had a whole area especially made for the holidays, full of ideas for gifts.

 

"This is where you should find what you're looking for." Jed says with a proud smile. "May I suggest my favorite?" Josie nods with a smile, so he walks around the table only to come back a second later. "It's an artist set. It has different types of brushes, a ton of paint and a small painter's palette, all very good quality by the way."

 

"Jed, it looks perfect! Thank you so much." Josie says with a big smile.

 

"It was my pleasure, really."

 

It's only then that Josie realizes his intense gaze again. She can't help the way her cheeks heat up under his attention. Jed is a beautiful guy, she can't deny that. He has something else too, he's nice and sweet. If her heart hadn't been stolen by a certain auburn haired girl, maybe she would have the biggest crush ever on Jed. But now, she feels a little trapped. So she gives him another smile, another thank you, takes the set and goes to pay for it. Lizzie quickly joins her, but she gets confused by Josie's red cheeks and her sudden hury to get out of the store. The brunette twin only seems to relax when they are walking through the parking lot and back to their car.

 

"Hey! Please, wait up." Jed calls out to them.

 

Lizzie gives Josie a weird look. "Who is that? And why is he chasing us? Oh my god, did you steal something?"

 

"What? Lizzie don't be ridiculus!"

 

Jed's little run to get to them is over, and Josie soon notices that he didn't put a coat on. His breath makes little air clouds as he's catching his breath. Even though he seems cold, Jed still finds it in himself to smile to Josie.

 

"I-I just wanted to ask your name." Jed says.

 

"Josie." She simply answers.

 

"Well, Josie, it's nice to meet you." She's about to say the same, but he quickly speaks again. "I also wanted to give you this." He hands her a piece of paper. "It's my number, call me if you want to."

 

Jed runs a hand in his hair, gives Josie a last charming smile, then he turns around and jogs back to the store. Both twins are left totally stunned by what happened. Josie because she really didn't expect him to do that, and Lizzie because she doesn't understand what just happened. Before the blond twin can ask any question, Josie hops in the car and starts the engine. Lizzie quickly gets in the car too.

 

"What was that?" Lizzie asks with an inquisitive smile.

 

"Nothing." Josie's voice is high, clear sign that she's lying.

 

"Oh my gosh, Josie Saltzman. Did you flirt with that handsome guy?"

 

"No! Absolutely not." Josie protests, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. " _He_ flirted with me. I wasn't a willing participant."

 

"Still... He's so hot! If Hope isn't into you, he'll be a wonderful rebound."

 

Josie groans, rolls her eyes and then starts driving.

 

** * **

 

When Josie's parents tell her they're having a family day on Saturday, Josie is quick to protest. Saturday is literraly the only day she's allowed to see Hope. With the hell week she will go through (orchestra pratices, exams, papers, homework...), Josie needs her time with Hope on Saturday.

 

"Hope is welcome to join us Josie." Caroline says smiling. "MG is invited too, so it's only fair. Your father and I agreed that we have to accept your relationship because Hope is obviously a really big part of your life now. Your father agreed to be nicer and to make a really big effort, right Rick?"

 

Alaric gives a tight-lipped smile. "Right."

 

Josie chuckles a little when she sees the face her father is pulling. "Okay, fine. I'll ask her to come."

 

After the conversation is over, Josie retires to her bedroom. As soon as she's in her room, she sighs, knowing full well she has to study. So she goes to her desk to gather the books she'll need. When her eyes fall on the piece of paper where Jed wrote his number, she feels her cheeks redden. Josie shakes her head and quickly grabs her book, leaving the piece of paper there. Then she settles on her bed and puts the books aside for now.

 

To Hope:

 

_There's family day on Saturday. Wanna come?_

 

It only takes a couple of seconds for Josie to get an answer.

 

From Hope:

 

 _Want me to come?_ 😉

 

Josie rolls her eyes and scoffs.

 

To Hope:

 

 _You know I do._ 🙄

 

From Hope :

 

_Then I wouldn't miss it for the world._

 

Josie's heart beats a little faster and she swallows hard.

 

To Hope:

 

_Good. How was your game?_

 

From Hope:

 

_Tiring. We won though._

 

_I'm so hungry now. I haven't eaten yet_

 

To Hope:

 

_Hope! It's nearly 9. Go eat, you have school tomorrow._

 

From Hope:

 

 _Okay. I'll wish you a goodnight now then. I'm exhausted_ 😴

 

 _Good night Jo_ ☺

 

To Hope :

 

 _Sweet dreams sleepy head_ 🥰

 

** * **

 

When Hope finally gets home after her volleyball game, she's exhausted. She worked ten times harder to make them win the game. They hadn't lost one since the one Dana made them lose. They were now one game away from the tournament and Hope was thrilled, but her whole body was aching. Keelin appears from the living room and softly smiles at her as Hope puts her bag where it goes.

 

"Good game?"

 

"We won." Hope simply says.

 

"You look tired honey." Keelin walks closer to Hope. "Come here."

 

Hope lets Keelin hug her and sighs in relief. This was good. It's at that moment that Freya walks downstairs, already ready to go to bed.

 

"You're home." Freya says with a smile. "We have something to talk about with you."

 

"Freya, she's really tired. It could wait." Keelin protests.

 

Hope frowns, a little concerned. "No, I wanna know."

 

"Fine, then let's all sit in the living room. It'll be more comfortable."

 

Freya and Keelin both sit on the ends of the couch and motion for Hope to sit in the middle. Hope does, with a little hesitation.

 

"Can you just tell me what's happening? You're making me anxious."

 

Freya and Keelin share a look. Then the blond woman decides to speak. "We talked about it a lot. This is something we both have wanted for a long time, but then... We had you. We knew we had to take care of you, and it made us very happy to do it. But now, we really think it's time to go back to us, to what we always wanted." Freya nods in Keelin's direction, signaling her to continue.

 

"We're trying to have a child."

 

Hope frowns. "Together?"

 

Freya playfully rolls her eyes. "No dummy. We asked Vincent for some help."

 

"Oh, that, uh... that makes sense."

 

"Are you okay with that?" Keelin asks gently.

 

"Yea- I mean of course."

 

Freya lays a hand on Hope's shoulder. "We were afraid you'd take it badly, but it seemed like a good moment to tell you. You're happier than you've been in the last three years. We don't want you to feel left out or anything. You'll always be just as important to us than this baby will."

 

Hope smiles. "I know. You deserve to get back to your life. I know you put everything on hold when you had to take care of me, now you can get back to where you left off." Hope takes both of their hands in hers. "I really hope it'll work out. You deserve this."

 

Her aunts' eyes get watery and soon Hope is crushed in a hug. She's being drowned in a sea of kisses and affection, but all she can do is laugh. When they calm down, Hope decides to asks a question of her own.

 

"Aunt Freya, do you think we could all go to my parents' cabin after Christmas? Like we used to do."

 

"Of course we can! I'll call Kol and Rebekah to tell them. They'll be so happy." Freya says before pushing some hair out of Hope's face. "Now you should go eat, it's late and you have school tomorrow."

 

"Sure, thanks."

 

Hope gets up from the couch and walks straight to the kitchen. Just as she's about to open the fridge, her phone vibrates. She quickly gets it out of her pocket and smiles a little goofily when she sees it's a message from Josie.

 

From Josie:

 

_There's family day on Saturday. Wanna come?_

 

Hope smiles and decides to tease Josie a little.

 

To Josie:

 

 _Want me to come?_ 😉

 

From Josie:

 

 _You know I do._ 🙄

 

Hope feels almost bad that she teased Josie. The brunette was so lovely.

 

To Josie :

 

_Then I wouldn't miss it for the world._

 

From Josie:

 

_Good. How was your game?_

 

To Josie:

 

_Tiring. We won though._

 

_I'm so hungry now. I haven't eaten yet_

 

From Josie:

 

_Hope! It's nearly 9. Go eat, you have school tomorrow._

 

Hope can almost hear Josie's scolding voice as she reads the text.

 

To Josie:

 

 _Okay. I'll wish you a goodnight now then. I'm exhausted_ 😴

 

 _Good night Jo_ ☺

 

To Hope :

 

 _Sweet dreams sleepy head_ 🥰

 

Hope smiles a final time before putting her phone back inside the pocket of her jeans.


	18. am i an idiot?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna say anything before this one 🙄🤷♀️

Hope quickly looks at the time on her phone and curses under her breath. She told Josie she'd be there by 2, but it was near 3 and she just made it home after her game. After they won the last game of this semester, their coach decided she wanted to talk to them. Hope quickly puts her bag where it belongs and runs upstairs under the amused stares of her aunts. Hope changes herself, she was glad that she took a shower directly after the game and didn't wait to get home. She brings her hair out of her ponytail, checks herself in the mirror and then decides to pull them back in a ponytail. With one last look at her reflection, Hope runs out of her room. She puts her boots on her feet, and takes her coat to put it on.

  


"Have fun, show them a little bit of that Mikaelson charm." Freya says with a wink.

  


Hope smirks. "I'll do my best."

  


Hope walks out of the door, and then goes to her car. She drives to Josie's house carefully. The road was icy and it scared her a bit. She usually didn't drive when it was like that, but she tells herself it's for Josie. The drive goes smoothly, and soon enough she finds herself in front of the Saltzman household. There's more cars in the driveway than usually, and suddenly Hope feels nervous. She was really gonna meet Josie's made-up family. At least she already knew the Salvatores. Hope grips the steering wheel, and debates going home, when her phone starts to ring. Hope smiles softly when she reads Josie's name.

  


"Hi." Hope says.

  


"Hi." Josie replies with a soft voice. "I- I was wondering... I mean, you're a little late so-"

  


"I'm outside your house." Hope explains.

  


"Oh." A beat, then Josie speaks. "Wait for me." Then she hangs up the phone.

  


Soon enough, Josie walks out the door of her house. She has a cute beanie on her head, and she tooks the time to lace her boots and zip her coat. They were so different on some things, but it only makes Hope smile. A couple of seconds later, Josie opens the door of the passanger seat of Hope's car. She sits down, closes the door and turn to face Hope. The auburn haired girl is about to talk when she's being pulled into a soft kiss. After the initial shock, Hope is eager to return the kiss. Josie's cold lips are soon warm on Hope's. Josie's hands are on Hope's neck, pulling her close. After a moment, Hope's hands found themselves resting on Josie's hips. As quick as it started, the kiss ends, leaving Hope breathless and a little dazed. Josie moves to fully sit on her seat. She rests her head on the head rest. Josie and Hope's cheeks match in color, and they both avoid to look at each other.

  


"They were all teasing me when I said I was coming out to see you. No doubt they were all looking and expecting this." Josie decides to give as an explanation, and it was true. She just didn't mention the fact that she had been dying to kiss Hope. It had been weeks since they kissed, and Josie just couldn't take it anymore.

  


"Okay." Is all Hope gives as an answer. "I'm late, sorry."

  


"Got held up at your game?"

  


"Yeah."

  


"Okay. Do you wanna go in now?"

  


"Can't we stay here?" Hope says as she finally gathers the courage to look at Josie with a playful smile.

  


"I wish we could." Josie says back with a smile to match Hope's.

  


Then Josie is walking out of the car, so Hope quickly follows. The younger girl waits for Hope before walking back to her house. As soon as Hope is by her side, Josie starts walking. She's pleasantly surprised when Hope reaches for her hand and intertwine their fingers. They exchange a look and a smile and keep on walking. As soon as they walk inside, Josie sighs in relief. No one was waiting for them at the door. Both girls take their time to take their coats and boots off before walking to the living room to join everyone else. One more time, Hope reaches for Josie's hand, but this time it's Josie who intertwine their fingers. When they walk into the room hand in hand, every eyes are on them. Hope's eyes widen, there's a lot of people in the room. She suddenly feels a lot more nervous than before.

  


"Everyone, this is Hope, my girlfriend." Josie says cheerfully.

  


There's a chorus of hello's and warm smiles, but Hope doesn't miss the wary looks she receives too. Hope smiles and gives them a little wave.

  


"I'll introduce everyone to you gradually, okay? This way you won't be overwhelmed."

  


Hope gives Josie a grateful smile. "Thank you."

  


Hope is glad when Josie starts with familiar faces. They go to Alaric and Caroline first. They talk for a bit before moving to another part of the room. There, they say hello to Damon and Elena, and soon after Hope is being introduced to Bonnie Bennett, Enzo St. John and their son Pedro. She also gets to meet Elena's brother, Jeremy and his girlfriend, Hannah. From the little conversations she shares with everyone, Hope learns that Damon had a brother, Stefan, but that the man had died when the twins were younger. Hope is surprised when she sees Mathew Donovan, the mayor of Mystic Falls, casually taking a drink with Alaric.

  


"I think you met everyone, let's meet Lizzie, MG and Stephanie upstairs."

  


Hope nods and lets Josie pull her upstairs. As soon as they're out of the room, Hope feels a lot lighter. She sighs in relief, and that's exactly when Josie squeezes her hand.

  


"I'm sorry, I know they're a lot to take in." Josie says with a sorry smile.

  


"It's fine. You went through breakfast with my family, I think I can handle this."

  


They have nowhere to sit, that's the first thing Josie thinks about when they walk into the twins' room. MG and Lizzie are both laying on the blond's bed watching a movie. Stephanie is asleep on Josie's bed, taking all the space.

  


"Why is she sleeping on my bed?" Josie asks Lizzie.

  


Lizzie shrugs, but her eyes never leave the screen. "Think she's hungover or whatever..."

  


Josie rolls her eyes, then she takes Lizzie's chair and brings it to her own desk. She motions for Hope to sit on it. By the time they're both sitting down, Josie notices Hope looks tense and uncomfortable.

  


"Is something wrong?" That's only after she spoke that Josie notices the piece of paper in Hope's hand, her eyes widen and a silent panic settles in the brunette.

  


"Why do you have Jed Park's number?" Hope whispers.

  


"He gave it to me." Josie deadpans.

  


Hope smiles and shakes her head. She places the piece of paper back on the desk and suddenly gets up.

  


"I'm gonna use the bathroom."

  


Then she's out of the door before Josie can even react.

  


"What the hell happened?" Lizzie asks.

  


"She found Jed's number on my desk."

  


Lizzie quickly sits up in bed and gives Josie an incredulous look. "Why didn't you put that away? Did you want her to find it or what?"

  


"What? No! I forgot it was even there."

  


"You should go fix that. I bet she thinks you don't want her now."

  


"Shit."

  


*

  


Hope quickly locks the door when she walks into the bathroom. She tries to control the panic that quickly gains her, but it's in vain. Of course Josie found someone to date for real. She wasn't good enough for her, Hope should have known. The auburn haired girl grips the counter and tries hard to breathe. Thoughts are running wild in her mind and she screams inside her own head to shut them up, but they just won't listen. Jed Fuckin' Park. Penelope's cousin. She couldn't even be mad at Josie. Jed was cute, smart and kind.

  


Three knocks sounds come before Josie's sweet voice. "Hope?" Hope gives no answer, but she grips the counter a little harder than before. "Hope, please just open the door." Hope tries one last time to calm her breathing, but when she sees it doesn't work, she opens the door.

  


Josie's eyes widen as soon as they fall on Hope. "Please, breathe with me."

  


Even though she's not sure about how she feels towards Josie right now, Hope tries to listen to her. She lets Josie puts her hands on the back of her neck and pull her closer. She listens to everything Josie tells her, she listens to Josie's deep breaths and tries to replicate them. Soon enough, Hope's breathing is almost back to normal.

  


"That's it, babe. You're doing so good."

  


The pet name makes Hope's heart clench painfully, but her breathing is back to normal. So Hope lifts her hands and not so gently pushes Josie away. Josie looks hurt for a second, but she soon swallow it down.

  


"Why did you have a panic attack?"

  


Hope shrugs before moving away. She sits down on the floor and pull her knees to her chest before resting her head on her knees. Josie closes the door, locks it and then joins Hope on the floor. They don't talk for a good ten minutes. Then Hope turns her head to look at Josie, only to find the brunette already looking at her.

  


"Are you gonna call Jed?"

  


"No."

  


Hope frowns. "Why? He's a great guy."

  


Josie nods. "I'm sure he is." Josie pauses for a couple of seconds. "Do you want me to be with someone else?"

  


Hope frowns. "We're not really dating. You're free to do whatever you want."

  


"That's not what I asked you."

  


Hope's eyes are never leaving Josie's as she speaks her next words. "I don't want you to see someone else."

  


Josie gives Hope an encouraging smile. "What do you want then?"

  


"I-I want... _you_." Hope says and her voice breaks a little. "I want all of you, for real this time. I don't wanna wait for somebody to watch us to kiss you. I want to kiss whenever I feel like it. I want to hold you, to hold your hand."

  


Josie's smile is big when Hope stops speaking. "I want that too, you know."

  


"Yeah?" Josie nods. "But Jed-"

  


Josie quickly cuts her off. " _He_ flirted with _me_. Not the other way around. I forgot I even kept his number."

  


"Oh..."

  


"Yeah."

  


Josie smiles and nudges Hope with her elbow. Hope lets out a little laugh and release her knees, laying her legs on the floor.

  


"Am I an idiot?"

  


"Yeah, but I am too, so it's okay."

  


They both start laughing and when they stop, their eyes immediately locks onto each other. Josie leans her head on the wall, and Hope quickly mimics her. Then Josie leans in and puts her forehead on Hope's.

  


"Are you gonna kiss me now?"

  


Hope bites her lower lip, nods and slowly starts to lean in. At first, it seems like Hope is hesitating. She's so close, but she's not closing the gap. Josie briefly wonders if the older girl is waiting for her to close it, but then Hope's lips are barely grazing hers. Hope softly teases Josie's lips with her own. Then she kisses Josie fully. Hope takes her time, she moves slowly and tastes Josie's lips fully. She sighs in relief when Josie's hands make their way into her hair. Hope's hand is resting on the side of Josie's face, and she's softly stroking the brunette's cheek. They lost themselves into the kiss, and they must have lost track of time too, because soon there's a knock on the door.

  


"Jo? Hope? Did you like kill each other in there? Or are you making out?"

  


Hope immediately pulls away. Josie doesn't even try to stop the groan that escapes her lips.

  


"Look whatever is going on in there, stop it." Lizzie adds. "Mom wants us downstairs. She says it's time to eat."

  


"We'll be down in a minute." Josie calls out.

  


"Okay."

  


Josie waits for Lizzie's steps to fade before she lets herself look at Hope again. Hope's cheeks are flaming red, and she's touching her lips. Josie's eyes softens.

  


"It was a great kiss." Josie softly says.

  


Hope jumps a little. "Yeah, they always are. Though I have to say this one is my favorite. It's our first real kiss." Hope's head snaps up and she meets Josie's eyes. "Do you wanna be my girlfriend? For real this time."

  


"If it's for real, how could I say no?"

  


Hope smiles big, with teeth and all. She leans in, pecks Josie's lips quickly and then she stands up. Hope extends her hand, a silent offer to help Josie up. The brunnete gladly takes it, and when they're face to face, Josie frowns at Hope's teasing smile.

  


"You called me babe."

  


Josie rolls her eyes. "I can't believe you're actually _older_ than me."

  


Josie walks out the door, but not without grabbing Hope's hand on her way out.

  


** * **

  


"Hope, what do your parents do for a living?" Bonnie asks with a smile.

  


Hope's heart sink, but she decides to answer anyway. "My father was a businessman and a painter, and my mother was a graphic designer for my father's company."

  


"So many 'was', what do they do now?"

  


"Bonnie..." Alaric speaks up.

  


"Wha-" then Bonnie's eyes widen and she turns back to Hope. "I'm so sorry."

  


Hope gives the woman a tight-lipped smile. "It's fine."

  


During the whole exchange, Josie is firmly holding Hope's hand under the table. Hope looks at Josie and gives her a grateful smile.

  


"How is that trip coming up Lizzie?" Matt asks the blond twin.

  


Hope is relieved that she's not the center of attention anymore. As Lizzie starts to talk excitedly, Hope catches Matt Donovan's eyes. The blond man smiles and gives her a friendly wink. Hope smiles back and most of her tension leaves her body. The remaining of the meal goes on smoothly. They talk, laugh and have fun. Sometimes, Hope and Josie look at each other and smile. Other times, Hope thinks about the fact that Josie is actually her girlfriend and she smiles to herself. What a wonderful day.

  


Then it's time to say goodbye. Hope is the first one to go. After the game, the confessions and the dinner, she's exhausted. Josie follows her now very real girlfriend to the door. She patiently waits as Hope ties her boots, and zip her coat. As soon as Hope is done, Josie walks closer. She gently places her hands on Hope's waist and pulls her in. This kiss is a little faster than the one they shared in the bathroom. There's more passion, more want. Hope's hands are resting on the back of Josie's neck, and she's pulling her in with a little force. The only that makes them break the kiss is their need for air. However, they don't go far from each other, instead they lay their foreheads on each other.

  


"I should have told you how I feel sooner." Hope says

  


"I should have said something too."

  


"I like you."

  


"I like you too."

  


"This is so weird." Hope says with a chuckle. "A couple of weeks ago I would have told you I was straight."

  


"Things can change quickly when feelings are involved." Josie says with a smile.

  


"Yeah." Hope gives Josie a teasing smile. "So you won't call Jed, right?"

  


Josie rolls her eyes and pulls away. "Actually, I think I'll call him right now."

  


Hope laughs, and when it dies out, she smiles softly at Josie. "Good night Josie."

  


"Good night _babe_."

  


Somehow, this word manages to make Hope blush. She shakes her head with a smile before walking out of the door. Josie stands at the door for a little while and watches her go. Then she closes the door and leans against it.

  


"I'm gonna need all the details." Lizzie says.

  


Lizzie's face shocked, but happy.

  


Josie smiles. "As soon as we're alone."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOOOOOOOOOOOO?
> 
> HOSIE STANS HOW ARE WE FEELING RIGHT NOW? 
> 
> I mean after last episode I couldn't not get this chapter out!! 
> 
> Also... IT HAPPENED!! THEY'RE TOGETHER FOR REAL!!


	19. uh... that girl ruins everything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys liked last chapter 😂🥰
> 
> Thank you for all your beautiful comments. 
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!

As soon as everyone leaves their house on Saturday, Josie and Lizzie run upstairs. Lizzie hasn't seen her sister this happy in so long, she couldn't wait to hear what happened between Hope and her. When they're inside their room, Josie lets herself fall face first on her bed and release the loudest happy sigh ever. Lizzie chuckles as she walks to her twin's bed. She sits right next to Josie.

 

"Spill." The blonde says before tickling Josie's side, which caused the brunette to let out a little squeak before she sits up and looks at her twin.

 

"I practically had to force it out of her, but she confessed her feelings. She could barely look me in the eyes Liz! She's so cute when she's shy, and the way she touched her lips after we kissed-"

 

"Okay, I'm gonna stop you for a second. I don't want to know how cute Hope Mikaelson is to you. How do you feel?"

 

"Happy? I mean, I've been very happy since she came into my life, but I've always been so scared she'd break my heart. After what happened with Nia, I knew I couldn't take another heart break. It would have been even worst with Hope though... cause she had no idea she could break it in the first place. And it's kinda hard to trust that she won't break my heart now, even when she says that she likes me, but I wanna trust her. I think we're both in the same boat when it comes to trust issues. She got a panic attack in the bathroom before I came to calm her down, because she thought I was gonna call Jed. Landon cheating on her really messed her up, I think."

 

"Yeah, cheating is enough to mess someone up. What is wrong with Landon Kirby? I can't believe he chose Dana over Hope, what a complete lack of judgement."

 

"I'd never do that to her. Hope is... incredible Lizzie." Josie's eyes looked far away. "She's attentive, soft, gentle... She listens to me and it looks like everything I say interrest her. It's... a good change."

 

Lizzie's heart sink as she listens to her sister talking about how Hope listens and care about her.

 

"I'm... really happy you have that Josie. You deserve it."

 

Josie notices the change in her sister. "Is something wrong Lizzie?"

 

"It-it's just that listening to you made me realize I've been a really bad sister lately. We've grown apart in the last few months, and I don't know much about you. I guess that's what happens when we grow up and have relationships. It's just kinda hard, I never thought _we_ could grow apart."

 

Josie's eyes go wide and she quickly pulls her sister into a hug."Oh Lizzie... We'll never really grow apart, we're twins. You're never gonna get rid of me, understood?"

 

"You better." Lizzie says with tears in her eyes. They break the hug, and then Lizzie quickly wipes the tears from her eyes. "So, are you guys official for real now?"

 

A big smile appears on Josie's face and she nods. "Yeah! She asked me to be her girlfriend, can you believe it?"

 

*****

 

Hope slowly walks to her locker after her last class. Her biology exam had been awful. It was the last week of school before winter break, and tonight was Josie's Winter Show. Hope couldn't wait to see her girlfriend play the piano. As the word girlfriend comes into Hope's thoughts, the auburn haired girl can't help but smile. Josie is now her girlfriend. She keeps that goofy smile on until she gets to her locker, there she finds Landon. She resists the urge to roll her eyes at him.

 

"Can you move? I can't get to my locker." Hope says rather harshly.

 

"I, uh, yeah sure." Landon moves away from the locker but he still lingers there. Hope opens her locker and quickly drops her books in it. Before putting her coat and boots on, she turns to him and lifts a brow. His eyes widen a little. "I-I just wanted to tell you I broke up with Dana."

 

"And?" He opens his mouth and closes it multiple times, and now Hope can't help but roll her eyes. "Look, I don't care about your relationship, or your lack of relationship. Now, leave me alone."

 

"I miss you. We were good together. We got each other. I want you back Hope, and I'm willing to work for that."

 

Hope lets out a loud laugh, and she only stops laughing when she realizes he's totally serious. "You can't actually think I'd get back with you. You cheated on me, you broke up with me in the school's parking lot and kept trying to humiliate me. I found someone who'd never do that to me, and I'm very happy with her. I'll never leave Josie to be with you."

 

Landon smirks. "She could never make you as happy as I could. That little gay phase of yours won't last. Put an end to it now, and you won't suffer the humiliation of crawling back to me."

 

"You're unbelievable. Leave, now."

 

Landon places his hands on Hope's hips and pulls her in. "Stop being so stubborn babe."

 

Hope reacts instantly, she tries to push him away but she's not strong enough. His hold on her is almost bruising.

 

"Landon, stop fucking touching me." Hope snarls.

 

He's about to say something when a strong hand forces him to loosen his hold on Hope. Landon and Hope look up and both of their eyes widen when they realise it's Rafael. The tall and muscular boy is quick to force his friend to back off. Rafael looks pissed.

 

"What the hell dude? Leave her alone, is that clear?" Rafael says as calm as he can be.

 

"Raf! I wasn't-" Landon panics.

 

"Fuck off Landon, or I'll do something I might regret." As soon as Landon walks away, Rafael turns to Hope with worried filled eyes. Hope looks shocked, so he makes no move to get closer. "I'm so sorry about him. I don't know what he was thinking."

 

His voice seems to shake Hope back to reality. She quickly turns away from him and back to her locker.

 

"None of this is your fault, you don't need to be sorry." She turns her head to look at Rafael. "Could you just... keep him away from me? He scared me Raf."

 

"He won't come close to you again if I'm near, I promise. Take care of yourself Hope." He gives her one last smile and then he turns and walks away. Hope turns back to her locker and takes her coat. "Oh, Hope, I just wanted to tell you I had no idea he was cheating on you. He never told me because he knew I wouldn't stand for that."

 

As soon as Rafael said Hope's name, she turned to face him. She always liked Rafael, while she was dating Landon, she could even say he was her friend. They hadn't talked since Landon had broken up with Hope, since Rafael was her ex's best friend. However, it felt really good to know he didn't know about the whole cheating thing.

 

"Thank you for telling me Raf, it's good to know our friendship meant something."

 

"We could be friends again, if you want."

 

Hope smiles at him. "Sure."

 

"See you tomorrow Hope."

 

"Yeah, see you tomorrow."

 

*****

 

Josie is sitting and eating dinner with the other kids from the orchestra. She can feel the nervousness building up in her stomach, but she's trying hard to push it down and have fun with her friends. The only thing keeping her from doing just that is Nia, who is sitting just in front of her. Her ex was being a little more annoying with every minute passing. Josie wasn't asking for much, just one drama free day. Josie's phone notifies her that she's receiving a text, then an another. She gets her phone out of her pocket and receives a third text. She softly smiles when she sees they're all from Hope.

 

**From Hope :**

 

_I can't wait to see you play tonight..._

 

_Should I say break a leg? I'm gonna say it anyway, break a leg._ 😘

 

_You're not answering me. I guess you're practicing or something. Have fun beautiful_ 🥰

 

Beautiful... Josie could definitely get used to that. Just as she's thinking that, she receives another text from Hope.

 

**From Hope :**

 

_I'm still working on the pet name... Is that one okay? Or should I just call you girlfriend?_ 😅

 

Josie chuckles and shakes her head.

 

**To Hope :**

 

_Beautiful sounded good. Thank you babe. Can't wait to see you._ 🥰

 

"Everyone, please go back to your instruments. Last practice before the show."

 

Josie quickly puts her phone back inside the pocket of her jeans. She gets up and walks straight to her piano. Nia is quick to follow her.

 

Just before Josie sits down, Nia whispers in her ear. "I bet I wouldn't need to text you four times to make you blush."

 

Josie lifts a hand and gently pushes Nia farther from her. "Can you just stop? When I told you I had a girlfriend, you said you could respect that."

 

"I changed my mind." Nia says with a smirk.

 

"Josie, Nia, please go back to your instruments now."

 

"Yes, Mrs. Brown." Josie says, before sitting down and not even glancing back at Nia.

 

The last practice goes on smoothly, but Josie feels Nia's eyes on her the whole time.

 

*****

 

As soon as Hope walks into the auditorium with her aunts, she sees Lizzie waving her over. She quickly notices that the blond twin saved us three seats, and it makes her smile. So Hope, Keelin and Freya walk to sit with the Saltzman family.

 

"Hi Hope." Caroline says with a warm smile. Alaric echoes her. "The flowers are beautiful!"

 

"Hi!" Hope says back, then she gestures to her aunts. "Thank you, they're for Josie, of course...Uh, this is my aunts Freya and Keelin, they're my guardians. Freya, Keelin, this is Caroline and Alaric Saltzman, Josie's parents. And this is Lizzie, Josie's twin."

 

Everyone shake hands and exchange some words before they all go back to sitting down. Hope sits right beside Lizzie, with Freya on her other side, and Keelin sitting on Freya's other side.

 

"It was about time you arrive! I almost had to fight someone's family to keep you these seats." Lizzie says with a fake annoyed eye roll.

 

"Thanks for keeping the seats Lizzie, I appreciate it." Hope says with a playful smile.

 

"Yeah, yeah... I only did it because you make Josie really happy. The flowers are indeed beautiful by the way."

 

"Thanks! Do you think it's too much? I just really wanted to give her the best and-"

 

"She'll love them, believe me. Josie is all for those romantic things."

 

Hope smiles softly and looks down at the flowers in her hands. "Good."

 

They all chat for a little while before the show starts, and as soon as the lights fade and the curtains open, the whole room gets silent. It doesn't take long for Hope to find Josie, and as soon as she does, her eyes never leave her girlfriend. Josie is beautiful, and the classy look suits her perfectly. Josie seems in her element as soon as the music starts. Hope feels almost like she's being taken into another world, and when the last note is being played, it takes her by surprise. The whole crowd erupts into cheers, but Hope stays frozen for a moment. Until Lizzie Saltzman slaps her on the arm, then Hope stands up and cheers loudly.

 

Lizzie turns to Hope when the cheering is done and people start to leave the auditorium. "Come on, we're going to wait for Josie near the doors. She should be out soon."

 

All Hope manages to do is nod. She starts to follow the Saltzman family out, but then she remembers her own family.

 

"We'll go wait for Josie outside of the auditorium, she should be out soon. Is that okay with you two?"

 

"Sure, sweet heart." Freya says with an easy smile. "Your very real girlfriend played well." Freya adds to tease Hope a little.

 

Instead of playing her aunt's game, Hope smiles. "I know."

 

They all wait for Josie to come out, and it takes her a little while. But soon enough, she's coming out with a big smile and a laugh. One of her friend is doing a bad impression of a trumpet, and the brunette seems to have a blast. When Josie notices her family, she quickly says good bye to her bandmates and does a speed walk to get to them. Josie's parents are the first to hug her. They flood her with compliments and kisses. Then it's Lizzie's turn. The twin's hug is tight and long, and compliments are quietly said in Josie's ear. When they pull away, Josie's eyes finally fall on Hope. The auburn haired girl feels nervous all of a sudden, but she still manages to smiles and offer the flowers to her now beaming girlfriend. Josie takes the flowers without a word, she looks at them for a moment and even smell them.

 

"Can you hold them for me? Be careful." Josie asks her sister.

 

As soon as Lizzie takes the flowers from her, Josie pulls Hope in and hugs her. Hope is quick to hug her girlfriend back.

 

"The flowers are beautiful, thank you so much." Josie says near Hope's ear.

 

"You're welcome. You were really incredible on that stage. I hope I'll get to hear you play guitar too one day."

 

"Sure." Josie says with a giggle. "I wasn't sure you'd be comfortable with me kissing you, but could I? I'm dying to kiss you right now."

 

"I was wondering why I had the hug treatment." Hope teases.

 

Josie chuckles and pulls away, just enough to look at Hope's face. Josie's hands move to Hope's hips, and when they land there Hope winces. Josie frowns and is about to say something, but Hope is quick to close the gap between them. The kiss stays chaste, but it's good anyway. When they pull away, Hope leans close to Josie's ear.

 

"Don't ask now, okay? I'll tell you when we're alone."

 

"Girls, I don't want to break this little happy time, but I really have to. There's school tomorrow, and it's getting late." Freya says with a sorry smile.

 

"Five more minutes, please aunt Freya!"

 

Freya sighs. "Five minutes."

 

"Come on, I know where we can be alone." Josie says to Hope. "We'll be back soon, promise!"

 

Then she pulls Hope away. Josie takes Hope to the music room where she used to practice with the orchestra.

 

"We could have been alone at another time Jo..."

 

"No way. Tell me what's wrong." Josie demands.

 

Hope sighs and looks away. "I... I ran into some trouble with Landon at the end of the school day. He grabbed me a little to hard, I was lucky that Raf was close and put an end to it."

 

Josie pulls Hope in a tight hug. "Are you okay?"

 

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was scared when it happened. Raf said he would keep him away from me."

 

"I hate that we're not in the same school, I feel like I can't protect you."

 

"You don't need to protect me, beautiful." Hope says. "I'll be fine, and I'll be more careful when he's around."

 

"Good." Josie takes her phone out of her pocket and quickly looks at the time. "We have like 3 minutes before we have to go back."

 

"We should use them wisely then." Hope says with a smirk.

 

Josie smiles and gently pulls Hope closer, careful not to hurt her girlfriend again. Their lips are brushing when they hear the door open. They jump a little and look at the intruder. Nia stands there with a fake smile.

 

"Coming into the music room to make out, we did that a lot, didn't we Josie?" Nia says with a mean smile.

 

Josie rolls her eyes. "You got over MG, didn't you Nia? Well get over me, we're not getting back together." Josie takes Hope's hand in hers and guides her out of the room. "Come on, I'm not in the mood anymore."

 

Josie guides them both back to their families, but before they get there, Hope stops her.

 

"There's something I wanna ask you."

 

Josie smiles. "Of course, what is it?"

 

"The day after Christmas, my family and I are going to our family's cabin for three days. I was wondering if you'd like to come with us. We could ski, skate and even do some tube sliding if you want. It's great and there's lot of snow there." Hope nervously asks.

 

Josie softens when she sees the clear signs of nervousness on Hope. Her fidgeting, avoiding her eyes, rambling... "Of course I wanna go. I just have to ask my parents, okay?"

 

Hope finally meets Josie's eyes again. "Okay, good."

 

Josie leans in and pecks Hope's lips one last time before they meet their families again. They says their goodbyes, hug one last time and part ways. Josie looked back to get one last look at Hope as she is walking away, only to see Hope doing the exact same thing. They smile at each other and then they both break eye contact.

 

As soon as the twins are sitting in the backseat of their parents' car, Lizzie leans close to Josie.

 

"Did you guys just make out for those five minutes?" The blonde asks with a teasing smile.

 

Josie groans. "We didn't get to! Guess who came into the room?"

 

"Don't tell me-"

 

"Yes."

 

"Uh... that girl ruins everything."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The return of the exes... How do you feel about that?


	20. i feel the same

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... It's almost been two weeks, sorry for that. I got some other content out though?
> 
> This chapter is like 2839 words of pure fluff and I regret NOTHING!

As soon as the doorbell rings, Josie is out of her seat and running to the door. 12 minutes, Hope is 12 minutes late. When she opens the door, Josie lays eyes on her girlfriend and her whole heart warms up. Hope's hair is filled with snowflakes, and she looks like a character from one of those Hallmark romcoms.

 

"Hi Jo." Hope says with a smile that reaches her eyes.

 

"Hi." Is all Josie manages to get out.

 

The brunette moves out of the way so Hope could get inside the house. Hope quickly does, but when she's in the house, they stand together a bit awkwardly. Then Hope hands Josie the gift she was holding.

 

"That's for you. I mean, it's your Christmas gift, from me, I- I chose it myself. I hope you'll like it."

 

Josie's eyes soften, then she puts the gift on a little table nearby before going back to Hope.

 

"You should really take your coat and boots off. This way I'll be able to give you a hug and a kiss."

 

Hope frowns, nods and quickly gets to work. Her winter coat and boots are off in record time, and soon she's stepping away from near the door and closer to Josie. The brunette frowns and giggles a little when she notices Hope's sweater. The red and green sweater has a badly knit M on it. Hope is quick to follow Josie's eyes, and she giggles too.

 

"Aunt Davina took a knitting class, she made one for everyone and, you know, we love her so..."

 

"It's cute."

 

"No, but thanks for saying that." Hope gets even closer than before, and then she pulls Josie in a tight hug. "I missed you."

 

Josie quickly reciprocates the hug. "I missed you too."

 

"This is ridiculous, we saw each other three days ago." Hope says before burying her face in Josie's neck.

 

"That's a long time." Josie says back.

 

"Yeah."

 

It takes a moment for them to pull apart, but when they do, it's only to bring their lips together. Hope's kisses have a tendency to make Josie a little dizzy, but she always wants more of them. The brunette is pleasantly surprised when Hope's tongue is asking for entrance, but she's quick to allow it. The passionate kiss turns alot more exploratory then, it's slower and Josie is more than okay with it. When they pull apart this time it's because of the lack of air in their lungs. As soon as she opens her eyes, Josie notices the blush covering her girlfriend's cheeks. The sight brings a soft smile to Josie's lips.

 

"Wow." Hope lets out.

 

"Yeah." Josie says with a giggle.

 

"That was..." Hope pauses for a second. "A good kiss."

 

"Definitely, yeah." Josie pushes a strand of Hope's hair behind her ear. "I'm allowed to spend alone time with you, but only like 30 minutes. After that, we'll have to join everyone in the living room."

 

"Okay, sounds good. I'm allowed to stay until noon."

 

"Great. Let's go to my room."

 

Josie takes Hope's hand in hers and leads her upstairs, but not without grabbing her Christmas gift on the way. When they get to the twin's room, Hope is glad to find it empty. Alone time with Josie was a rare thing these days.

 

"You can sit on my bed. I'll go get your Christmas gift from my closet."

 

Hope agrees and sits down. She patiently waits as Josie rummages through the closet. It takes the brunette a couple of seconds to find the package, and then she's sitting next to Hope, their sides touching each other.

 

"Here, I really hope you'll like it." Josie says with a beaming smile.

 

"I-I really want to see you open your gift." Hope says. "Do you want to open it now?"

 

"Of course! Open yours too."

 

"Okay." Hope agrees

 

Josie reaches for her gift that she left on the bed when they came in. She sees the way Hope is impatiently waiting for her to open it, so she does. As soon as she starts to take the paper apart, she sees what's in the box. Her eyes open in disbelief and she's quick to rip all the paper away from the box. When there's no doubt about what could possibly be in the box, Josie's eyes fill with tears.

 

"Hope, this is... it's way too much." Josie says as she shakes her head. "How did you... I mean..."

 

"When we got to know each other, you said you broke your ukulele. You also said it was your favorite instrument to play, so I thought it'd be the perfect gift for you." Hope takes the time to take a deep breath. "Do you... do you like it?"

 

A little laugh escapes Josie, she wipes her tears away and puts the ukulele back on the bed. Then, she places both of her hands on Hope's cheeks and pulls her girlfriend in a sweet kiss. It doesn't last long, and when it's over, Josie presses her forehead on Hope's.

 

"This is perfect, thank you." Josie whispers. "I can't believe you actually remembered that little piece of information I shared with you months ago."

 

"I care about you, everything you say matters to me." Hope whispers back. "Now, are you gonna play for me?"

 

"Sure." Josie smiles. "But, open your gift first."

 

"Oh, yeah."

 

They pull away from each other and Hope takes the gift she put away a minute ago when Josie kissed her. It doesn't take long for Hope to rip the paper off of the box. Hope's face softens when she sees what her gift is. A painter set. Memories comes flashing and she's brought back to the first set her father gave her for Christmas when she was 7. She's so deep in thoughts, that she doesn't realize that tears are falling freely on her cheeks.

 

"Hope, are you okay?"

 

"Y-yeah." Hope says with a smile. "Sorry, I'm just really emotional this time of the year, and painting always makes me think about my father. It brought back a lot of memories."

 

"You don't have to be sorry." Josie says. The brunette reaches for one of Hope's hand and gives it a squeeze. "Those are good memories, right?"

 

"The best. Thank you so much." Hope smiles and quickly pecks Josie's lips. "Now, will you play for me?"

 

Josie's smile gets bigger. "Yeah."

 

Hope silently watches as her girlfriend gets the ukulele out of the box. The instrument is beautiful, Hope is proud of her choice, and the awe in Josie's eyes only makes her prouder. Josie takes her time to tune the ukulele correctly. The little crinkle between her eyebrows, created by concentration, is the cutest thing Hope has ever seen. The auburn haired girl wonders how Josie manages to make her fall a little harder everytime they interact. The brunette doesn't even have to physically be there, a text and Hope is a goner.

 

"Okay, so I haven't played in a while, so don't be too hard on me."

 

"I would never." Hope says with a teasing smile.

 

Josie playfully rolls her eyes. "I started writing a song about you. It's not over, but do you wanna hear it?" Hope nods eagerly. "It's not much, just like three sentences."

 

"Please, I wanna hear it."

 

Josie smiles and nods, then she starts playing. At first, she tests the chords, and when she feels comfortable enough, she starts playing the little something she wrote about Hope.

 

_My heart has a little crush on you_

_So won't you take a listen_

_And dance with me to the rythm_

 

When she's done, Josie places the ukulele behind them and looks back at Hope. Softness is all she can see on Hope's face.

 

"It's not much, but it'll be easier to write now that I have a ukulele." Josie says with a sheepish smile.

 

"It's beautiful, really. The only thing is... aren't we way past the crush phase?"

 

Hope's smile is teasing again, and Josie chuckles as she lightly punches her shoulder. "You're such an ass sometimes."

 

"You lo- like me anyway." Hope's almost slip up makes her blush.

 

Josie has the decency to not talk about it. "Yeah, yeah I do." Josie quickly takes a look at the clock. "Okay, so we have like ten minutes before my father forces us to go downstairs. What do you wanna do?"

 

"Well..." Hope gets closer to Josie, until their lips are brushing. "I thought we could cuddle, and, you know, kiss a little."

 

"Sounds like a plan." Josie moves farther from Hope, making the older girl frown in confusion. "Let me just put the ukulele away, okay?"

 

"Oh, yeah, sure."

 

Josie carefully takes the instruments and goes to put it away. Hope takes that time to place her painter set on Lizzie's bed, and in no time she's sitting back on Josie's bed. When Josie comes back, she lays on the bed and pats the spot next to her to make Hope understand she should lay too. Hope lays on her side next to Josie, and Josie decides to face Hope.

 

"I think I should tell you something about me." Hope starts.

 

"Okay."

 

"I-I'm not that comfortable about being intimate with someone. At least I wasn't with Landon. We never went farther than kissing. He tried to take my shirt off once and I panicked." Hope takes a deep breath before she keeps talking. "I'm gonna need you to be patient with me. Do you think you could do that?"

 

"Of course, I can do that. But, Hope, we just started dating for real. Why are you telling me this now?"

 

"It's just... Nia told me that you two had sex pretty early into your rela-"

 

Josie's eyes are big as she cuts Hope off. "What? She- Oh my god! I can't believe she told you that." The brunette closes her eyes, trying to calm herself as to not scare her pretty vulnerable girlfriend. "Look, what happened between Nia and I was a big mistake. All of it. I was naive and I thought she was the one. I wanted to give her everything, and she took everything." Josie places a hand on Hope's cheek. "I don't want us to be a mistake. I want us to be different. Let's take our time, okay?"

 

Hope lightly nods. "Okay."

 

"Good."

 

Josie leans in and kisses Hope once, then twice, thrice and then she stops counting. The brunette feels every little touch. The way Hope's lips move with hers, the way her nose brushes her cheek, the way Hope's hand travels from her hip to the small of her back only to pull her closer. Josie's heart soar at the way Hope is so gentle and soft when they're being intimate with each other, but she can't help but wonder what it would feel like if Hope was a little more rough. Just as that thought crosses Josie's mind, someone clears their throat form the doorway. It doesn't even take a second for Hope to jump away from Josie, and the brunette's eyes widen when she sees the older girl falling off of the bed.

 

"Hope, are you okay?" Josie quickly asks as she moves to look down at her girlfriend.

 

Hope winces, but still forces a smile. "I'm fine. Everything's fine."

 

"Uh, girls..." Alaric starts. Hope and Josie's eyes are quickly on him. Josie almost feels bad for her father when she sees how uncomfortable he looks. "We want you both downstairs soon, okay?"

 

Josie gives him a smile. "Sure dad."

 

Alaric shoots one last look at Hope, the auburn haired girl smiles tentatively at him, a smile that he does his best to reciprocate before walking away. As soon as he's walking downstairs, Hope shoots a distressed look at Josie.

 

"Why does he hates me so much?"

 

"My last girlfriend broke my heart. He's just being carefull." Josie says with a sorry smile.

 

"How can I change how he feels about me? He seems to like MG just fine."

 

"MG and Lizzie have been dating since they were 12. How about, we just give him some more time to adjust? Let's say, if in a month he's still being hard on you, I'll talk to him."

 

Hope sighs and stands up with a wince. "Sure, let's do that."

 

Josie can barely contain a laughter. "Are you sure you're okay?"

 

"My butt hurts Josie, but I'll survive. The only thing that's really hurt is my pride."

 

Josie gives Hope a fake pout. "Poor little Hopey."

 

Hope narrows her eyes. "Now, who's being an ass?"

 

Josie laughs before linking her arm with Hope's. "Come on, let's go have some family fun!"

 

"Sure!" Hope says with a tight-lipped smile. "Fun, of course."

 

*****

 

Hope watches the self-made family with wonder filling her eyes. Her father used to tell her that nothing was stronger than a family related by blood, that nothing could break those links. However, as she watches Josie's family, she can't help but think that this family is just as strong as hers, if not stronger. Those people loved each other truly and unconditionnaly even if they weren't blood related, and Hope thinks it's really beautiful to see.

 

After laughing at a joke her uncle Damon said, Josie takes a look at her girlfriend. Hope has been sitting next to her ever since they joined her family downstairs. The older girl was awfully quiet though, and it was starting to worry Josie. So the brunette slips her hand into Hope's, automatically gaining the auburn haired girl's attention.

 

"You've been quiet. Is everything okay?" Josie quietly asks Hope.

 

Hope smiles. "Yes, everything is perfect. I'm just... adjusting, I think. I'm not used to being around a family that's not mine."

 

"What about Landon's? Roman's ? Or even Penelope's?" Josie asks with a little frown.

 

"Landon is a foster kid, so, you know... Roman's family hasn't been around in a while now. Penelope's family is mostly absent. I don't think they even know my name."

 

"Oh..."

 

"It's fine though. Your family is lovely."

 

"Thank you Hope." Josie softens and leans in to kiss Hope's cheek.

 

The little kiss is enough to bring a blush to Hope's cheeks, and attract some eyes. Hope tries very hard to avoid any eye contact, but when she catches Caroline's eyes Hope feels better. Better because Caroline is giving her a soft smile, and Hope feels like with time she'll be able to have a little place in this family. She just has to try harder and gain Alaric's approval. One step at a time. Hope's ringtone makes her jump a little, and she quickly takes her phone out. Her aunt Freya's name is written on the screen, so she quickly picks it up.

 

"Hello?"

 

"Hello Hope, how is it going at Josie's?" Freya excitedly asks.

 

"It's great! We're having a good time."

 

"Good, I'm glad to hear that." Freya replies. "I'm sorry to interrupt the fun, but we'd like you to come home now. We have traditions to uphold!"

 

"Oh, sure. Let me say goodbye and then I'll head home."

 

"Sure sweetheart! I'll see you soon, bye."

 

"See you soon, bye."

 

As soon as she ends the call, Hope notices Josie's eyes on her. She sees the very real, but contained, pout on her girlfriend's face. The little sad smile Josie gives her, almost makes Hope feels bad about going back home.

 

"You have to go."

 

"Yeah." Hope smiles softly. "It'll only be a day before we get to see each other again. Then it's three full days together."

 

"You're right." Josie's smile gets a lot more genuine. "I'll walk you to the door."

 

Hope takes her time to say good bye to everyone. She makes sure to thank her hosts, and she's kinda surprised to receive a hug from Josie's dad. Then, Josie follows her to the door. The brunette silently watches as Hope puts her boots back on, and then her coat.

 

"So, one day." Josie says.

 

"Yes, then we'll come get you to go to the cabin." Hope smiles. "And I'll text you tomorrow morning to wish you a Merry Christmas."

 

"Okay." Josie nods. "Can I have one last kiss before you go?"

 

"You didn't even have to ask. Come here."

 

Josie walks closer to Hope and gets a little surprised when the smaller girl takes the lead and pulls her into a passionate kiss. Their lips move in sync, until they don't. Then they break apart and break into a fit of laughter. When their laughter dies down, they're left smiling at each other. Josie pecks Hope's lips lightly before giving her a little push towards the door.

 

"Be careful on the road." Josie says.

 

"Of course." Hope stops, her hand on the door handle. "I just want to tell you, I feel very lucky to have you in my life."

 

Butterflies go wild in Josie's stomach. "I feel the same."

 

With one last smile, Hope walks out of the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The little song Josie sings is "Crush on you" by Soulfro (Quency Fousey) and Kaylee Bryant!


	21. no masks, no lies, remember?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They finally go to the cabin!
> 
> You guys were waiting for this, uh?
> 
> Thank you so much for you constant support.

Freya stops the car in front of Josie's house the morning after Christmas. It's 7 AM and Hope can't wait to see her girlfriend again. The auburn haired girl is quickly out of the car and walking to the door of the Saltzman household. She's relieved to see lights inside the house, she wouldn't have wanted to wake anyone up. She knocks on the door and waits patiently for someone to open the door. It's Alaric that does, and Hope puts her best smile on, she was on a mission to gain his approval after all.

 

"Good morning Mr. Saltzman!"

 

"Good morning Hope." He says with a little smile. "Josie's almost ready, but you should probably come in."

 

"Oh, thank you." Hope turns around and makes sure her aunt sees her going in. When she's sure Freya saw her, Hope steps inside.

 

Alaric closes the door behind Hope. "So, where is that cabin again?"

 

"Oh, it's in Breckenridge."

 

Alaric nods. "Thank your family again will you? For taking Josie with you and covering the expenses."

 

"I will, but don't worry they were really happy to have her join us." Hope says still smiling. "We haven't been there in three years, we're all pretty excited to go back."

 

"Three years? Why didn't you go back before?"

 

Hope suddenly looks down, she doesn't wanna hold his gaze while she tells him the reason. "I didn't wanna go. It hurt to even think about being there without my parents."

 

It takes a moment to get a reaction out of Alaric, but then there's a big hand on Hope's shoulder. Alaric gives Hope's shoulder a comforting squeeze.

 

"I- I didn't realize. I'm sorry I brought it up."

 

Hope shakes her head and looks up to meet his gaze again. "It's okay Mr. Saltzman. Since I've known Josie, I've been talking about them a lot more than I used to. I- I think it doesn't hurt as much as it used to."

 

"Josie is good at that..." Alaric says. "She helps people heal."

 

"Yeah, but she has a hard time letting people help her. I've been working on changing that."

 

"You're doing a good job kid."

 

It's the first time she feels like Josie's father doesn't hate her and Hope loves how it feels. She doesn't know why, but somehow she needs his approval. Maybe it has something to do with the fatherly look he kinda gives her right now, a look she hasn't been at

the receiving end in two years now.

 

"Hope! I'm so sorry I made you wait." Josie says as she rushes downstairs.

 

"Josie..." Hope manages to get out.

 

The beauty of her girlfriend manages to knock the air out of Hope. There's nothing that special about Josie. The thing is, she's dressed exactly like the first time Hope met her at the Mystic Grill. The same band shirt, the thing that changed is that Hope actually know which band it is now. The same jeans and jacket complete the look. Even her hair look the same. So much has changed since they met, yet they stayed the same.

 

Josie leaves her bag on the floor near where Hope and Alaric are standing. "I just have to say goodbye and we can go."

 

"I-uh yeah. I'll bring your bag inside the car." Hope says.

 

"Thank you!" Josie gives her a smile and disapears in the kitchen.

 

Hope turns her attention back to Alaric. "Goodbye Mr. Saltzman."

 

"Take care of my little girl, will you?" Alaric asks, and before Hope can answer, he adds: "And you can call me Alaric, Hope."

 

"Nothing will happen to Josie, you have my word... Alaric."

 

He smiles at her and nods. She gives him a smile too before taking Josie's bag and getting out of the house. Hope places Josie's bag in the trunk of her aunts car before getting into the car herself. She sits in the backseat under the curious gazes of her aunts.

 

"She'll be out soon. She's saying goodbye."

 

Both women smile.

 

"Good." Freya says.

 

It takes a little more than a minute for Josie to come out of the house. Hope watches as her girlfriend walks to the car and hops in.

 

"Hi! I'm so sorry I was late." Josie says as soon as she's sitting in the car.

 

"Sweetie, it was only like 5 minutes." Keelin says with a smile.

 

"Still." Josie says with a shrug.

 

"Let's go to the airport now!" Freya says as she starts the engine.

 

Hope's eyes never left Josie, and when the brunette finally turns to face her, Hope's smile gets bigger.

 

"Hi." Hope starts before leaning in and placing a soft peck on Josie's lips. "You're really pretty today."

 

Josie smiles shyly. "Stop it, you're gonna make me blush."

 

Hope shrugs. "You're beautiful when you blush." Then she gives Josie a teasing smile. "I'm so happy you're coming with us."

 

"I'm happy too."

 

Before they know it, they're at the airport and it's time to take their flight. Josie and Hope's seats are next to each other, so they're quickly cuddling in the airplane.

 

"There's a song I want you to listen to." Hope suddenly says.

 

"Okay, make me listen to it." Josie agrees.

 

Hope hands Josie one of the two part of her earphones. There's a nervousness settling inside her, somehow showing the song to Josie was a big deal. What if she didn't like it? Or what if she didn't feel the same?

 

"It-it describes how I feel about you."

 

Josie smiles and nods. Hope hits play and the song starts. The soft tune of a guitar is followed by an even softer voice. Josie listen closely to the lyrics, she desperately wants to know how Hope feels. The lyrics hit Josie hard. She looks over at her girlfriend, her girlfriend who can't bring herself to look her in the eyes. She knows Hope isn't into PDA, so Josie squeezes her hand and leans close to her ear.

 

"I do feel the same." Josie leans back into her seat, and Hope looks at her. The older girl's eyes are disbelieving. "You once said that your favorite quote is 'We accept the love we think we deserve'. Well you better start to accept mine, because you deserve it Hope."

 

Hope's eyes are filled with happy tears and she nods before quickly wiping them away. The auburn haired girl gives a blinding smile to Josie.

 

"I took a Disney+ membership and downloaded all the episodes of 'High School Musical:The Musical:The series' for you."

 

Josie's eyes go wide with excitement. "Oh my god, you're the best."

 

Then Josie cuddles back into Hope's side, fully ready to watch the show. As Hope feels Josie's body pressed against hers, she can't help but feel happier than she has been in a long time. Maybe the last time she's been happy like this was exactly three years before, when she was at the cabin with her whole family, her parents included. As Josie listens to the show, Hope plays with her hair, completely lost in thoughts.

 

*****

 

Rebekah comes to pick them all up at the airport. She's driving a big SUV, and Hope quickly explains that she rented the car, she also explains that they're about 15 minutes away from the cabin. The landscape is so beautiful that Josie doesn't see the time pass. She never saw this much snow in her entire life. When Rebekah parks the car infront of a cabin almost as large as Hope's house, Josie's eyes widen.

 

"This is your family's cabin?" Josie asks.

 

Hope shrugs. "I have a big family, and we like having our own spaces."

 

"Right."

 

Hope nudges Josie's shoulder with her own. "Come on, I want to take you skiing this afternoon."

 

"I've never skied before." Josie says with wide eyes.

 

"I'll show you." Hope says before stepping out of the SUV.

 

She patiently waits for Josie to join her outside. When the brunette does, she immediately shivers. She wasn't wearing a hat nor a scarf, and the air was way colder than the air in Mystic Falls. Hope rubs Josie's arms and gives her a sheepish smile.

 

"It's cold, isn't it? Let's get inside, Marcel and Rebekah have been here since last night, it must be warm in the cabin."

 

With Josie's hand in hers, Hope walks to the cabin. As soon as they step inside, they're flooded by how warm it is inside. On the first floor, the space is open, so Hope can see the flames burning in the wood stove. Memories come flashing back as she looks around. One thing catches her eyes though, her mother's rocking chair. Hope remembers how her mother would spend all her time sitting on that chair and reading books. She almost sees herself sitting on Hayley's lap getting rocked back and forth until she fell asleep. Hope only notices the tear sliding down her cheek when Josie's thumb wipes it away. Then, the Mikaelson heir is back to present times, and she looks around, seeing every eyes on her.

 

"I-I'm sorry." Is all Hope manages to get out. Nobody says a thing. They don't know what Hope needs, comfort or space? Hope doesn't loose any time though, she gets her coat and her boots off quickly. "I'll just, uh, go to my room for a moment. I'll be back in a minute."

 

Josie helplessly watches her girlfriend go. The brunette shoots Freya a lost look, silently asking the woman what to do.

 

"I think you should go. This place is full of beautiful memories for her, but I'm sure it still hurts." Josie nods and quickly takes her coat and boots off too. "Farthest door down the hall, on the left."

 

Josie nods before sprinting upstairs. As soon as she's in front of the door Freya told her was Hope's, Josie knocks. She doesn't wait for Hope to allow her in, and she's glad she didn't because the auburn haired girl is sobbing on her bed. Josie immediately goes to sit by Hope's side and pulls her in her arms. Hope lets Josie embrace her, and buries her face in the brunette's neck. The lyrics of the song Hope made her listen to in the plane comes back to Josie's mind, so she starts to softly sing.

 

_Take my hand_

_And I'll show you the way_

_Look me in the eyes_

_And tell me you feel the same_

_And if you wanna run away_

_I won't hesitate_

_Because I'd have nothing_

_If they take you away_

 

Hope gets her head out of Josie's neck, just to press her lips on the brunette's. Josie returns the kiss with fierceness, determined to show Hope just how much she cares. Their kiss deepens, and their tongues play with each other. Hope pulls on Josie's jacket to prompt her girlfriend to take it off. The brunette lets Hope take her jacket off, and then they're kissing again. Josie is almost sitting in Hope's lap when a knock is heard. Both girls freeze, suddenly very aware of their position and the fact that they were heavily making out with Hope's family around. Josie puts some space between them as she catches her breath and tries to replace her hair with her hands.

 

"Hope? Josie? Is everything okay in there?" Rebekah asks from the other side of the door.

 

Josie and Hope exchange a look, and they can't help but laugh loudly. They're laughing so hard, that soon their stomach are hurting.

 

"I guess that answers my question." Rebekah says before walking away.

 

When their laughter dies out, Josie gets serious again. She lifts her hand and softly caress Hope's cheek, but the older girl doesn't look Josie in the eyes.

 

"Are you okay Hope?"

 

"Yeah." Hope's eyes are fixated on her own hands as they're laying flat on her thighs.

 

"No masks, no lies, remember?"

 

Hope finally looks up at Josie. "They're everywhere and I miss them. It's been three years since I lost them, three years since I haven't been someone's child. When Landon broke my heart, the only thing I would've wanted was a hug from my mother, and maybe for my father to get angry. When I started to realize I had real feelings for you, the first person I wanted to tell was my mom, and then I realized she's no longer there. It hurts and it feels like it'll never stop. Everyone says time will heal, but I feel like this is a wound that never will."

 

"I can't imagine how you feel, and how much it hurts. I lost my birth mother, but I never met her. You had your parents for most of your life, and from one day to another you lost them." Josie takes a deep breath. "I know it'll never be the same for you, but there's so many people around you that love you. Your aunts and uncles, Penelope, Roman, MG, Lizzie-" Hope gives her a look. "Don't look at me like that. She does love you, in her own way, but she does, believe me." Hope chuckles and shakes her head. "You have me too. You'll have me for as long as you wish to keep me around."

 

"A-are you saying you love me?" Hope's voice is small, like she doesn't know if she should be asking this.

 

Josie's eyes soften. "Yes, I do love you. I'm sorry if you think it's too soon to say those words. I feel like you need to hear them now, though."

 

Hope shakes her head. "I don't think that. I love you too."

 

Josie takes a deep breath again and smiles widely. Then she leans in and places a soft but short kiss to Hope's lips.

 

"We should get our bags from downstairs, and show your family that you're fine."

 

Hope smiles back. "Yeah, let's go." Josie makes a move to stand up, but Hope holds her down. "Wait, uh, thank you for everything you said. I really appreciate it. They would've loved you by the way."

 

"Really?"

 

"Yeah. All they wanted for me was someone who'd treat me well, and love me. You do both, so..." Hope shrugs to end her sentence.

 

Then Hope takes Josie's hand in her's, and they walk back downstairs to meet the Mikaelson family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our girls hit a major milestone in this one! How do you feel about that?
> 
> To those of you who celebrate Christmas, I wish you a Merry Christmas. To the others, take care of yourselves my friends and spend some quality time too!
> 
> I should be back with another chapter for this story between Christmas and New Year's eve!


	22. we're fine Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! So... I really wasn't supposed to update this until after Christmas, but... you know!
> 
> This is just a little chapter, but a lot happens? It's fluff and angst.
> 
> Enjoy!

"Are you okay my love?" Hope says as she crouches down to be eye level with Josie.

 

Josie has fallen about a dozen times now. Skiing is clearly not a thing for her, but she just wanted to do it for Hope. But now, she's reevaluating her decision. Hope extends a hand, a gesture meant to help Josie up. The brunette groans and reaches for Hope's hand, allowing her girlfriend to lift her to her feet.

 

Josie brushes the snow off of her clothes. "I hate this. I tried really hard babe, but this is a nightmare for me. I'm not good at sports in general, and now I'm wet, cold and my butt hurts from all the times I fell today."

 

Hope smiles. "I appreciate that you tried, but you didn't have to try that hard. You could have told me you didn't like it earlier."

 

"I didn't want to disapoint you. You were so excited about taking me skiing."

 

Hope chuckles. "Playing scrabble with you would get me excited." Hope lifts her hand and brushes some snow off of Josie's shoulder. "Come on, let's get back to the cabin, you look like you're freezing. I'm sure aunt Freya will make us some hot chocolate."

 

"That sounds totally perfect." Josie sighs. "I can't feel my cheeks, is that normal?"

 

Hope shakes her head and takes Josie hand in hers. They walk hand in hand to the bottom of the mountain. Fortunately for them, they weren't that far. Since Josie was a beginner, they were skiing on the smallest ski slopes. At the bottom of the mountain, there's a cabin like restaurant and a parking. The girls walk to the parking and it takes them a couple of minutes to find Hope's car.

 

"Thank god." Josie sighs as they finally find the car.

 

"Go inside, start the engine and get warm, okay? I'll get the material in the car."

 

"You're the best, thank you." Josie says before kissing Hope's cheek and getting inside the car.

 

It doesn't take long for Hope to join Josie. The brunette has her hands on the air vent of the car to try and warm them up.

 

Hope giggles. "I don't get why you didn't tell me you were freezing."

 

Josie glares at her. "I did for you! You looked happy."

 

"I told you, you're the one making me happy." Hope smiles and reaches to put some hair out of Josie's face. "I can come and ski with Marcel later. We're here for three days anyway."

 

"One is almost over."

 

Hope groans. "Don't remind me. I have so much to show you while we're here."

 

"There's always next year."

 

Hope turns her head to look at Josie. The brunette has a soft smile, a smile that makes Hope's heart skip a beat everytime.

 

"Yeah, there's always next year."

 

Josie starts to lean in, and Hope doesn't hesitate to close the gap. Somehow kissing Josie was now a second nature. Hope was loving every second of every kiss. There was no pressure, no expectation, just love.

 

Josie pulls back. "Can you drive us back please? I'm freezing."

 

"Oh, uh, yeah."

 

It takes them about ten minutes to get back to the Mikaelson cabin. Hope tells Josie to go straight inside, and when the brunette does, she gets the equipment and puts it back in the garage. Then, Hope gets inside the cabin. She can't lie, the warmth is welcome. Rebekah, Freya and Keelin are all sitting in the living room, chatting about something Hope can't hear. The young Mikaelson looks around to find Josie, but the brunette is nowhere to be seen. Just as Hope's about to ask her aunts where her girlfriend is, Davina comes walking downstairs.

 

"We sent Josie to take a shower. Poor thing, she was totally frozen. Her clothes were all wet, I don't think she was prepared to deal with all the snow there is here."

 

"Oh..." Hope says. "Is she okay though? I knew she was cold but-"

 

"Don't worry Hope..." Rebekah says as she joins them. "She'll be okay after a warm shower."

 

"Okay, good." Hope takes her coat off. "I'll go change myself too then. My clothes are soaked too."

 

"You should take a shower after Josie's done. Wouldn't want you to catch a cold." Freya calls from the living room.

 

Hope is done taking her boots off when she starts getting upstairs. "I will!"

 

Hope walks into her room, the room she's gonna share with Josie from now on. There's small signs that Josie's been in here before Hope. Her bag of clothes is open, and there's a sock on the floor, Josie must've dropped it. Hope decides to keep her wet clothes on until Josie gets out of the shower, she'll put dry clothes on after her own shower. The auburn haired girl sits on the chair in the corner of room, and at the same moment, the door of room opens. Josie walks in with her hair wet and a towel to cover her body. Hope's eyes go wide as she sees her girlfriend half naked, and Josie's eyes do the same when she realizes Hope is in the room.

 

"Hope! Could you, like, turn around or something?"

 

Hope blushes and quickly turns around. "I'm so sorry, I saw your bad open and I thought you took your clothes with you. I really didn't think you'd come back to the room without clothes on."

 

"I know. I took some clothes, but I forgot to take some underwear." Josie quickly gets what she needs from her bag, before looking back at her very embarrassed girlfriend. "Don't look, okay? I'm gonna change myself here, I don't feel like walking through the hallway half naked again."

 

"Okay." Hope says with a small voice. After a moment that feels like eternity to Hope, Josie tells her she's done. Hope immediately turns around. "I swear it was an accident, please don't be mad."

 

Josie frowns. "I'm not mad."

 

"You're not?"

 

"It was my fault, you couldn't have known." Josie walks closer to Hope. "You should take a shower too, okay? We'll talk after, when we're both dry and warm."

 

"Okay."

 

Hope breaks eye contact before quickly gathering her clothes and a towel (not forgetting her underwear).

 

Just as Hope is about to get out of the room, Josie speaks up. "We're fine Hope."

 

Hope looks back at Josie and gives her a small smile. "Thank you."

 

Josie watches as Hope then walks out of the door. It made her sad that Hope was so insecure about their relationship. She just hoped that her girlfriend would soon get more confident and comfortable. Josie sits on the bed and patiently waits for Hope to be done with her shower. After about a minute, she gets her phone out of her pocket and dials her sister's number.

 

"Josette Saltzman! The day is almost over, and you're calling now?!" Lizzie says as soon as she picks up.

 

Josie chuckles. "It's good to hear your voice Lizzie."

 

"I hope you have a good reason to call so late."

 

"Okay so I don't know if you've heard about that, but there's a thing called 'Time difference'. It's only 5 here Lizzie."

 

"Oh, okay then. I forgive you."

 

"I don't have much time, but there's something I need to talk to you about." Josie says, nervously watching the door in case Hope would walk in. "Hope saw me half naked."

 

"Wow, you guys are moving fast."

 

"No! That's not... I mean, I was coming out of the shower and I forgot my underwear, so I came back to our room, but I didn't know she was there and-"

 

"Okay, slow down." Lizzie sighs. "She saw you covered by a towel then?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"Okay, what's the big deal? It was an accident."

 

"I know! That's what I said, but I felt like she was really uncomfortable. Lizzie... what if she's not into me like _that_? What if she confused her feelings?"

 

"Okay. Stop it. Now you're being totally paranoid. Didn't you tell me she was super uncomfortable when it came to sex? I think it's just that. She saw a little too much skin and it made her panic. Look, just talk to her. You guys talk about everything right? She'll tell you if something's wrong."

 

Josie hears some noise from outside the room. "I'll do that. She's coming back I think... Thank you Lizzie."

 

"Text me to tell me you guys are okay."

 

"Of course, bye."

 

"Bye."

 

Just as she's hanging up, Hope comes in. Hope's smile is shy and she's barely meeting Josie's eyes. Josie stands up from the bed, and then they're facing each other in the center of the room, with enough space between them that they can't touch each other.

 

"Hope... I really need to ask you something, and I need you to be honest with me, okay?"

 

Hope nods. "Okay."

 

"Are you sure you have romantic feelings for me? I don't doubt that you love me, but are you in love with me?" Josie immediately sees how the question seems to shake Hope. The brunette walks closer to her girlfriend, taking her hands in hers. "Don't freak out, okay? Just think about it."

 

"W-Why are you asking me that?"

 

"You seemed really uncomfortable earlier."

 

"You were almost naked! I freaked out that's for sure, it doesn't mean I'm not in love with you."

 

"I didn't mean to doubt your feelings. It's just that... I'm insecure. About us, I'm scared you'll realize that you're totally straight, and that I was a mistake."

 

Hope looks at Josie with a look Josie can't describe. Then the Mikaelson girl closes her eyes and exhales through her nose. Hope opens her eyes again and gently pulls Josie closer. With her hands on Josie's hips, Hope kisses the younger girl with more determination and love than she ever did. They kiss, and kiss again. Their breathing becomes shorter and slowly, Hope pulls away. She looks behind Josie for a second, before gently pushing her backwards. When Josie's knees touch the bed, Hope pushes her down until the younger girl is sitting. She looks down at Josie and threaded her fingers through the brown locks.

 

"Don't ever doubt my feelings for you again." Hope says with a low voice. "When I told you I love you this morning, it's because I meant it."

 

"Okay." Josie is looking up at Hope. "I'm sorry."

 

"It's fine. Just don't do it again please. I feel like you don't trust me with your heart, and honestly, that hurts."

 

"I do trust you, I swear."

 

"Then show it." Hope pulls Josie's head closer to her, until it's resting on her stomach. "I told you before. Everything sex related is kind of a sore subject for me. It doesn't mean I didn't think you were beautiful."

 

"Oh?" Josie's arms circle around Hope's waist.

 

"Of course, I looked a little dummy." Hope chuckles. "How can a girl that hates sports look so fit?"

 

"I run... sometimes. In PE, mostly."

 

It makes Hope laugh. "Right."

 

Josie closes her eyes and just enjoy the feeling of being so close to Hope. She listens to her breathing and breathes her in, the familiar scent of oranges always follows Hope. The Mikaelson girl softly plays with Josie's hair, not willing to break this moment yet.

 

"Hope... did we just have our first real fight?"

 

Hope hums. "I guess." Another moment of silence fills the air. "We should get downstairs and get some hot chocolate."

 

"Yeah." Josie slowly lets go of Hope.

 

The auburn haired girl puts a finger under Josie's chin and makes her look up. "Hey... I love you."

 

Josie smiles. "I love you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it :D


	23. you're very special

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! 
> 
> So I'm back with another chapter! 
> 
> I really hope you'll like this one. I'm introducing a new character :D

Sleep is still clouding Josie's eyes as she watches Hope's back. They fell asleep cuddling, and somehow during the night, they drifted apart. Hope's auburn hair is everywhere, and Josie's tempted to reach out and play with it. She was so in love with this girl, she couldn't deny it anymore. There was no going back now, either she would have the greatest love story of all time, or she'd end up with the worst case of heartbreak. Josie sighs, and decides that it's not worth thinking about that. Hope loved her, she told her on their first day here and made it very clear. So the brunette decides to get closer to her girlfriend. She inches closer until her front is pressed to Hope's back, then she drapes her arm around Hope's waist. As soon as she's done, Hope lets out a sigh and turns around. For a second, Josie thinks Hope is awake, but the Mikaelson girl is still very much asleep. Still holding Hope, Josie now gets to look at her girlfriend's face. Hope looks very peaceful in her sleep, free of burdens, free of sadness. After a minute or two of staring at Hope, Josie suddenly thinks that maybe she's being weird. She decides to gently shake Hope to try and wake her up. After a couple of seconds, Hope is still not waking up. 

 

"Hope… Babe, come on, wake up." Josie whispers.

 

Hope's eyes flutter open, just to close again. "Why are you waking me up?" 

 

"Because watching you sleeping is starting to get creepy."

 

Hope's eyes open. "You watched me sleep?" 

 

"Well, I got closer to you and I wanted to hold you, but then you turned around. I was still holding you, so, yeah, I kinda stared for a minute or two." Hope is barely holding her laughter in. "Oh don't you dare! I know it's weird, but your face is really nice to look at."

 

Hope can't take it anymore and breaks out laughing. Josie fakes being offended for a couples of seconds, only to join in after. When their laughter dies out, Hope's face gets serious, yet there's a small smile on her face.

 

"I love waking up with you." The Mikaelson girl says. "You look so beautiful with your messed up hair and the imprint of the pillow on your cheek."

 

At first Josie's heart is melting with how charming Hope is being, and then the last part makes her roll her eyes. She reaches for the pillow that was under her head and uses it to hit Hope in the head. 

 

"You're such an asshole Mikaelson!"

 

Hope starts laughing again, and she has to hold her stomach because she's laughing too hard.

 

"You love me anyway, so why should I change?" Hope says as soon her laughter allows her to.

 

Josie shakes her head with a soft smile. "I don't want you to change. You're not perfect, but you're perfect for me."

 

Hope's face grows a little more serious, she leans in and kisses Josie. "I love you." She reaches out to take Josie's hand and strokes her knuckles with her thumb. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of telling you how much I love you."

 

Josie shakes her head with a light chuckle. "Good, cause I'll never get tired of it either." The brunette sits up in bed and shoots a teasing look to her girlfriend. "Time to get up sleepy head." 

 

As Josie gets out of bed and walks to the bathroom, she hears Hope groan. When she gets back to their room, Hope is already dressed and packing her bag. 

 

"Wow, that was fast."

 

Hope shrugs. "I thought about the fact that it's our last day here, and it gave me motivation."

 

Josie forces a smile and sighs. "Right."

 

It immediately gets Hope's attention. The older girl turns her head and look at her girlfriend, she sees how Josie suddenly looks kinda defeated and sad. Hope closes her bag and then she walks to Josie. She smiles, trying to get one of Josie's beautiful smiles in return, but the smile she receives doesn't reach Josie's eyes.

 

"Is something wrong my love?" Hope settles on asking.

 

"I just… can't believe it's already our last day here. I didn't even realize it until now. Tomorrow morning we're going back home, and back to our reality."

 

"Yeah, but our reality isn't that bad now, is it? We're together, for real, and that's beautiful."

 

"Of course babe. The only thing that makes me sad is that we won't get to see each other as much as we do now. It's going back to our separate houses, to seeing each other for a couple hours per week, and to going to different schools. That's the part that sucks."

 

Hope nods and gives Josie a sorry smile. "I know, but for now we're together, and we get to spend one last night all cuddled up together. I promise you a wonderful day too, you'll see."

 

"Okay"

 

"Look, I'm gonna go downstairs and wait for you while you get ready, okay? When you join me, we can have breakfast and then we start the day."

 

Josie nods, and her smile looks more genuine than it had been a few moments ago. So Hope smiles too, before placing a light peck on her girlfriend's lips and getting out of the room. As soon as she walks downstairs, Hope hears the loud conversations of her family and it makes her smile. Everyone looks happier than usual, and it makes Hope curious.

 

"What's going on here?"

 

"Hope! You're finally up. We have wonderful news." Freya says excitedly. "Keelin is pregnant! We're gonna have a baby."

 

Hope's whole face lights up. She pulls her now crying aunt Freya in a tight embrace.

 

"That's so cool! Congratulations." Hope releases her aunt and walks to Keelin, she gives her a hug, but a hug a little less tight. "I can't believe it! You're gonna have a kid. I'm gonna have a cousin."

 

"What? Who's pregnant?" Josie asks as she walks downstairs.

 

"Keelin!" Hope answers with a big smile. "That's awesome, right?"

 

"Of course it is. Congratulations!" 

 

After a couple of minutes of agitation and happiness, they all settle down in the living room. Kol decides to go make breakfast with Davina, after all he's the best cook in the house. Josie and Hope sit on the couch, and all the attention suddenly drifts to them.

 

"What are you doing for your last day here?" Rebekah asks.

 

Hope smiles. "We're gonna go to the market this afternoon, and then I'm taking Josie to Luccio's for dinner. After that, we'll go to the lake and do some ice skating." Hope quickly turns to look at Josie. "If that suits you, of course."

 

"It sounds perfect."

 

"That's a very romantic day you planned there Hope." Marcel teases.

 

The auburn haired girl knows she's blushing. "I-I guess."

 

"There's no shame in being romantic Hope." Rebekah is quick to assure her niece. "Some of us could actually take some notes right now." She adds with a glare directed at Marcel.

 

"What? I proposed to you in Paris! That's romantic."

 

"Love, we go to Paris every year, the charm is kinda over."

 

"It's literrally the city of love, how could it lose its charm?"

 

As the couple continues bickering, Josie leans close to Hope's ear. "Sometimes I forget how rich your family actually is."

 

Hope frowns. "Is that something that bothers you?"

 

"No! It's just… You're all so normal, it's easy to forget that you live in a mansion, can go to Paris every year, have a cabin that's actually bigger than my house… You know?"

 

"Most of it is old money. Inheritance and all. We come from an old noble house somewhere in Europe. I never really cared much about all of that." Hope shifts in her seat, a little uncomfortable. "I know we're privileged, but we give a lot to charities too and-"

 

"Hope… I didn't say that to make you feel bad. Forget I said anything, okay?"

 

"Okay." Hope falls silent for a couple of seconds before turning her head towards Josie. "Does it have anything to do with the fact that I paid you to be my girlfriend? Did that bother you?"

 

"What? No, Hope I only said that because of what your aunt said about going to Paris every year. It has nothing to do with our relationship." Josie sighs. "Hope, why do I feel like we're both kinda insecure since we've been here?"

 

Hope opens her mouth, only to close it soon after. She frowns and look away from Josie.

 

"Breakfast is ready!" Kol calls out from the kitchen. 

 

Everyone quickly gets up and walks to the table. When Josie makes a move to stand up, Hope gently grabs her wrist and to keep her on the couch.

 

"I don't think our conversation is over." Hope says. "I'm sorry if I was insecure. I know it's kinda rocky between us sometimes. Maybe it has something to do with the fact our relationship was basically based on a lie. I'm just really scared you'll find something about me you won't like and then you'll leave me. I'm terrified you're gonna leave me."

 

"Hope… Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Hope shrugs, and can't bring herself to look at Josie. "We both had shitty relationships before, and that doesn't help us to trust each other, I guess. We'll just have to work hard and make this work, cause I'm never leaving you Hope Mikaelson." Josie takes Hope's chin between her thumb and her index finger, and gently make the older girl look at her. "You're stuck with me."

 

"I hate when we fight." Hope blurts out.

 

Josie giggles. "Hope… that wasn't a fight. Sometimes couples need to just have a talk. We're two different people, it's only normal that we need to adjust sometimes."

 

"Is it?"

 

"Of course."

 

"I didn't talk like this with Landon. We basically just didn't talk about it when one of us was mad. We'd give each other space until we missed each other."

 

Josie nods. "Well, I prefer to talk about it. It's much more healthy for a relationship. It prevents us from getting hurt, and from hurting each other."

 

Hope smiles. "I love you, and I love how your brain and your heart work."

 

"I love you too."

 

"Oh my god guys!" Davina says while clapping her hands. "Did you hear that? They already say the L word."

 

There's a chorus of "aw's" that makes Josie and Hope blush. After getting through all the teasing, both girls join the Mikaelsons for breakfast.

 

*****

 

Josie eyes are wide open and full of awe as they walk through the streets of the market. Christmas lights are still hung up everywhere, and it really feels like they've stepped on the set of a Hallmark movie. The booths are filled with lots of stuff and Josie is in awe of it all. The air is cold, and she's glad Hope forced her to dress more warm then the first day they spent in Breckenridge. Hope hasn't let go of her hand since they got there, and Josie loves it. They've spent a good hour just looking around, and now Hope is guiding them to her favorite place in town. The brunette is kinda surprised when her girlfriend stops in front of a library.

 

"My mother loved books. She used to read to me when I was a child. As soon as I knew how to read, she brought me here. She used to say it was her favorite place on earth." Hope smiles and then she pushes the door open. A bell rings, signaling they're getting into the shop.

 

"Welcome ho-" The eyes of the old woman fill with tears when she sees Hope. "Hope Andrea Mikaelson… Welcome home sweetheart."

 

"Nana…" Hope says.

 

She lets go of Josie's hand and walks to the old woman. They hug for a long time, and Josie watches with curious eyes, letting her girlfriend have this moment.

 

"Three years without seeing my favorite little girl."

 

"I'm not as little anymore." Hope answers.

 

"Still too little to lose your parents. I wanted to come to the funerals but-"

 

"Nana, it's okay. You're too old to travel." Hope says with a teasing smile.

 

"Don't you dare pull the old card with me young lady!" The woman says before laughing loudly.

 

Hope laughs a little too before looking behind herself and finding Josie. The brunette smiles back at her girlfriend.

 

"Nana, there's someone I really want to introduce to you." Hope takes the woman's hand and guides her to where she left Josie. "This is Josie, she's my girlfriend."

 

Nana gives both of them a toothy grin. "You must be very special. It's hard to grab the attention of a book lover. See, no one ever succeeded with me!" They all share a laugh. "How long have you been together?"

 

"That's a complicated question." Hope says.

 

"Officially, it's been like 3 weeks." Josie adds.

 

"You, young people, are so hard to follow." Nana shakes her head and turns around. "I'm gonna make hot chocolate. Go find something to read."

 

Then the woman disappears behind her counter, busy with making hot chocolate. 

 

"You just met one of my favorite person in Breckenridge." Hope says with a goofy smile.

 

Josie smiles back. "I can see why." She looks around, seeing lots of old and used books around. "I didn't know you loved books."

 

"You don't know everything about me." Hope says with a wink. "I mean, this isn't something I share with everyone. This is a very private part of who I am, just like my art room."

 

"You shared both with me."

 

"Nana said it herself : you're very special."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! So there's only one chapter left of their trip to the cabin. After that they're going back home, and I'm telling you all... prepare yourselves for some angst. There's a storm coming.


	24. i'm really insecure about it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Last chapter of fluff!
> 
> I STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU READ THE ENDING NOTE. PLEASE READ IT.

After about two hours of catching up with Nana and reading books, Hope and Josie head out of the small library. They hold hands as they walk down the streets of the market, and Josie's eyes can't stay away from Hope. The Mikaelson girl looks happy, and it's enough to make Josie stare. 

 

"Did I ever told you you're the most beautiful person I've ever seen?" Josie asks. 

 

Hope quickly turns her head in Josie's direction. Her cheeks are bright red, and Josie's not sure if it's because of the cold or if it's because of what she just said. 

 

"I, uh, thank you." Hope answers. 

 

Josie shrugs. "I'm only telling the truth."

 

"You're very beautiful too, you know." Hope starts. "You're like, really cute and-"

 

Josie squeezes Hope's hand. "You don't have to ramble, I get it."

 

Hope sighs in relief. "Thank you. I didn't even know what I was gonna say next."

 

Josie giggles, and then they fall silent again. The little booths are all closed, and christmas lights are illuminate the street. The sun has already gone down, letting the moon slowly rise in the night sky. Just as Josie thinks it's all very romantic, her stomach grumbles loudly. Hope's eyes are immediately on her again.

 

"Sorry." Josie says with a sheepish smile.

 

"We'll get to the restaurant soon." Hope says with a little smile.

 

Just like Hope said, a few minutes later they stopped in front of a little restaurant. Josie glances in the small restaurant, and she's surprised to see a family-like room. Luccio's look comfortable and warm, and the thought brings a soft smile to Josie's lips. Hope opens the door for her, and as soon as Josie steps inside, she's being comforted by the warm air of the restaurant.

 

"Welcome to Luccio's, I'm Lisa and I'll be your host tonight." The girls say quiet hi's back. "Is there anyone joining you? Or do you need a table for two?"

 

"A table for two will be fine, thank you." Hope says. "And, uh, is Luccio here tonight?"

 

"Of course, he's in the kitchen. Do you know him?"

 

"Uh, yeah. Could you just tell him Hope Mikaelson is here? I'd like to see him, if he has the time, of course."

 

"Of course Miss, let me guide you to your table, and then I'll tell Luccio you're here."

 

Hope is the first one to follow when Lisa starts to walk, with Josie close behind her. They sit in a little corner booth, and it makes Hope smile. This way they could eat side by side, and cuddle, it was perfect. 

 

"Another family friend, I guess?" Josie asks with a smile.

 

"He was my father's friend. He came to their funeral and made me promise to come back here when I'd be ready. I can finally fulfill my promise."

 

Hope barely has the time to finish her sentence before a big man loudly emerges from the kitchen. He looks so happy to see Hope that Josie finds herself smiling goofily. Hope smiles too, a shy smile this time. It makes Josie curious, she wonders why her girlfriend looks so embarrassed to see Luccio again.

 

"The little wolf herself!" Luccio says in a deep but loud voice. "Hope Mikaelson… I thought I wouldn't see you again."

 

"Hi Luccio, it's really good to see you."

 

"Make some room for me, will ya?"

 

Hope turns to Josie, and the brunette quickly gets the message, she scoots to her right, quickly followed by Hope. Luccio sits to Hope's left, and he looks at her with a hard stare. Josie reaches for Hope's hand under the table, a little gesture meant to bring a little bit of comfort to the older girl. As soon as Josie holds Hope's hand, the auburn haired girl tightens the hold. 

 

“Does your beautiful friend have a name?”

 

“Josie, her name is Josie.” Hope says quickly. “And she’s actually my girlfriend.”

 

“Girlfriend?” The man smiles. “That’s new.”

 

“Yeah, it is, but Josie is…” Hope turns to look at the brunette. “You’re special, I already said that before, but it’s the best word to describe you. Except maybe beautiful, and talented, and-”

 

Luccio lets out a loud laugh, and it makes Josie wonders if the man does anything quietly. “I get it little wolf, you’re very in love with your girlfriend. It’s a pleasure to meet you Miss Josie.”

 

“The pleasure’s all mine Sir.”

 

“Damn, a polite one. Call me Luccio darling.” The big man’s attention goes back to Hope. “You look a lot less angry than the last time I saw you.”

 

Hope’s cheeks takes a deep shade of red. “About that, I really want to-”

 

Luccio interrupts Hope. “No need, I get-”

 

It’s Hope’s time to interrupt him. “No, I insist. I apologize for the way I treated you. I was sad, and angry and most importantly, I was way out of line. I didn’t mean the words I said to you that day.”

 

Luccio sighs. “I’m gonna accept your apology, if that makes you feel better.”

 

Hope finally smiles. “Thank you.”

 

“I’ve heard you’ve been in town for three days now. It took you long enough to come see me.”

 

“I wanted to save my favorite places for our last day here. I prepared a day full of my favorite things, I wanted to show them to Josie.”

 

Luccio smiles. “Nana misses you.”

 

“I went to see her. We spent most of the afternoon catching up.”

 

“Good.” Luccio stands up. “I’m gonna go back to my kitchen. I’ll see you later. Order whatever you want, it’s on me.”

 

“Luccio, you know you don’t have to.” Hope says.

 

“Please, it’s my pleasure to treat you and your girlfriend.”

 

“Then thank you.” Hope says, her smile much more genuine than it’s been before.

 

“Thank you Luccio.” Josie says too.

 

“Have a good time girls, I’ll see you later.”

 

They both say bye and watch him as he goes. When he’s out of sight, the girls turn to look at each other. Josie is about to say something, but before she has the time to do so, Hope leans in and kisses her. The kiss is slow, deep and meaningful. The hand Hope place on Josie’s neck is warm and her thumb softly caress Josie’s jaw. Hope pulls away, but she presses her forehead to Josie’s. She doesn’t open her eyes, and neither does the brunette. It takes another little kiss for Hope to finally move back, releasing the hold she had on her girlfriend.

 

“What was that for? Not that I’m complaining, because I’m really not.” Josie says, a little breathless.

 

“I… I’m really in love with you. That’s all. I feel really lucky to have you by my side. In three years, I didn’t manage to gather the courage to come back here and make amends. But this year, the thought of coming here with you was just… I don’t know, it felt right. Everything feels right with you. Like it’s meant to be.” As soon as the words are out of her mouth, Hope cringes. “Sorry, I don’t wanna scare you by saying this-”

 

“You’re not scaring me.” Josie quickly says. “I’m in love with you too, and everything about us does feel right.” Josie hesitates before saying what she wants to say. “Hope, why did you apologize to Luccio? What happened?”

 

Hope sighs and sinks into the booth a little. “The nights my parents died, they were here, in Breckenridge. They spent the night here at Luccio’s, and then they decided to drive back home. I never understood why they didn’t just stay at the cabin. Anyway, they drove back home and had the accident. I was so angry and I needed to blame someone, so I ended up blaming Luccio. He- he didn’t even try to tell me it wasn’t his fault. He took all my words and never once said I was wrong. He just made me promise to come back here. I wanted him to leave, and he said he would if I promised. So I did.” Hope sighs. “I still feel so bad about that day. I treated people poorly. People who were grieving just like I was. I didn’t see it at the time though, the only thing I saw was that my world was gone.”

 

Josie takes her time to let Hope’s words sink in. She’s not sure if she’s meant to say anything after all Hope just told her, but she felt like she should.

 

“I won’t tell you you were right to do what you did. I’m just gonna say this, you did the only thing that made sense to you at the time. Sadness and anger were clouding your judgement. People who really know you and love you, know that it wasn’t you. They know those words were spit out of anger. Hope, you’re a good person. Most of the time, good people go through the worst things, and that sucks. But in the end, the way they handle it define who they are. You handled it poorly when it happened, but now you’re making amends and that makes you a good person.”

 

Hope smiles at Josie. “Thank you. You always succeed to make me feel better.”

 

“I only say the truth.”

 

They share a smile before Lisa comes to their table to take their orders. They both quickly look at the menu, and choose something to eat. Lisa is patient, and they both thank her for it. They chat a little during the time it takes for them to get their meals. Josie is relieved when she sees Lisa coming their way with their orders, she’s literally starving. The food is delicious, and okay, maybe Josie lets out a little moan when she gets the first bite into her mouth. Hope giggles and shakes her head, making Josie blush a little. They spend their meal mostly silent, throwing glances at each other here and there. When it’s time for them to get dessert, they notice that the restaurant is mostly empty, save for a couple eating dessert in the middle of room. Neither of them is surprised to see Luccio get out of the kitchen again, with as much noise as the first time. 

 

“How was it?” He asks as he stands in front of them.

 

“Delicious.” Josie says with a smile

 

“Yeah, she’s right. Your pasta are the best.”

 

Luccio smiles and takes a chair behind him to sit in front of both of them. “So, how did you two happen? What’s the story?”

 

Hope tenses and turns to look at Josie with panic all over her face.

 

“We met at one of Hope’s volleyball games. She played against my sister. We started to be friends, then Hope’s boyfriend broke up with her. We got closer, and one thing led to another, and now we’re here.” Josie ends with a soft smile.

 

Hope felt better when Josie ended the story. She felt bad about lying to Luccio, but at least their story was half true. Luccio is all smile as he looks between them.

 

“How long has it been?”

 

Hope decides to answer this one. “Three weeks.”

 

He looks confused. “Only three weeks? You guys look awfully in love for two girls who’ve been dating for three weeks.”

 

“Well, we started officially dating three weeks ago. We’ve been pining over each other for three months.” Josie says with a shrug.

 

That makes Luccio laugh again. “You’ve got a funny one Hope.”

 

“Yeah, she’s a lot of things.” 

 

Just then, Lisa walks in with their desserts. 

 

“You’re leaving tomorrow.” Luccio states.

 

“Yes.” Hope answers with a nod.

 

“Is it gonna take you three years to come back?”

 

Hope chuckles. “No, it won’t.”

 

“You’ve grown so much Hope. You’re almost an adult. It’s crazy. Where’s the little girl who used to come help me in the kitchen?”

 

“Technically, I’m still that girl, but you wouldn’t be proud of me. I’m a disaster in the kitchen now. I can’t even make soup.”

 

“We’ve got some catching up to do then.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Not long after, both girls finish their dessert and they end their conversations. Hope and Josie have to get back to the cabin and get to sleep since they’re taking a plane early the next day. Luccio says his goodbyes with emotions and big hugs. Then, they’re out of the restaurant and walking back to the car. The car ride is mostly silent. They hold hands the whole ride, and listen to the playlist Josie prepared before they left Mystic Falls. When they get to the cabin, the lights are out, everyone is already asleep. They do their best not to make too much noise. They both get to relax when they step into their room.

 

“It was a very beautiful day Hope. Thank you for sharing all of it with me.”

 

“Thank you for coming along.”

 

“One day, I’ll do the same for you. Sure, I’ve never been outside of Mystic Falls, but I’m sure I know places you don’t.”

 

“Sounds good.” Hope smiles before getting her sleep clothes out of her bag. “I’m gonna go take a shower and change.”

 

“Okay. I’ll be here when you come back.”

 

“Okay.”

 

It takes about 20 minutes for Hope to come back to the room. When she’s standing outside of their room, Hope stops as she hears music in the room. She’s pleasantly surprised to hear Josie sing over the music. The voice of her girlfriend make butterflies appear inside of her, and suddenly she can’t take it anymore. Hope slowly opens the door, hoping to catch a glimpse of Josie while she’s singing. She’s in no luck though, because Josie jumps as soon as Hope walks in.

 

“I didn’t mean to scare you.” Hope sheepishly says.

 

“Then why didn’t you make some noise when you came in? Gosh, Hope! I nearly had a heart attack.”

 

“I wanted to see you while you were singing.”

 

Josie’s eyes go wide. “You heard that?”

 

“Yeah, you sound amazing.” Hope smiles and gets closer. “Why didn’t you sing in front of me before? You never even told me you sang!”

 

“That’s not something I share with people.”

 

Hope frowns. “I shared a lot of things with you that I don’t normally share with people.”

 

Josie’s mouth opens, and then closes. She sighs and looks down. “I’m really insecure about it.”

 

“Oh. Okay. It’s fine.” Hope says and forces a smile. “You should go shower and change. It’s getting late.”

 

Hope walks past Josie and goes to the bed they share. Josie’s heart sink, she knows she just let Hope down. The brunette turns around. “Hope-”

 

“Josie, it’s okay. Just go.”

 

Josie swallows with difficulty, grabs her pyjamas and walks out of the room. While she’s in the shower, Josie beats herself up over what happened. Hope has a hard time opening up, and still she did open up to Josie, countless times since they’ve been friends. Hope had asked one thing, and Josie said no. She had to do something about it, or this could drive a wedge between them. Josie takes a deep breath before stepping into their room. She immediately notices that Hope is under the covers, ready to go to sleep. The auburn haired girl shoots Josie a little smile before settling back down. 

 

“I’ll do it. I’ll sing for you.” Josie says nervously.

 

“No, you won’t. I don’t want you to do something you’re not comfortable with.” 

 

“I want to do it. Just… don’t be too hard on me.”

 

“Josie, I would never do anything to hurt you.”

 

Josie smiles. “I know.”

 

Hope pushes the covers off of her and sits on the bed. Josie sits on the end of the bed. She looks at Hope and then she closes her eyes before starting to sing.

 

_ I'll feel the fear for you, I'll cry your tears for you _

_ I'll do anything I can to make you comfortable _

_ Even if I fall down when you're not around _

_ Don't worry about me, don't worry about me _

 

Josie opens her eyes and sings the next verse, looking right into Hope’s eyes. When the brunette is done, a single tear is running down Hope’s cheek.

 

“That- that was… really beautiful. Your voice is… perfect. The song you chose, wow, it’s unbelievable.” Hope wipes her tear away. “I’m sorry, I’m kind of at a loss for words.”

 

“You really liked it?”

 

“Lik- Josie, I loved it. You’re literally the most talented person I’ve ever met.”

 

Josie blushes. “Stop it.”

 

“It’s only the truth.” Hope smiles. “Now, come to bed, it’s late and I feel like cuddling now that you just sang to me.”

 

Josie’s smile gets bigger and soon enough she’s slipping under the covers and into Hope’s arms. She loves when she gets to be the little spoon, it’s kind of awkward since she’s taller, but it’s still the place where she feels the safest. As soon as they’re both settled, Josie sighs. They were in love, they were sharing private things and communicating. Their relationship is good, and they love each other. What more could she asks for? Then, a shiver runs down her body because Hope kisses her shoulder softly. The brush of Hope’s lips on her bare skin is literally the only thing she could ask for that she doesn’t already have, but she’s willing to be patient. Anything for Hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Josie sings at the end is called "Don't worry about me" and it's by Frances. I strongly suggest to give it a listen. The music video makes me cry everytime!
> 
> So... Angst is coming next chapter.
> 
> I want to ask something from you my beautiful readers. When I imagined the story, the angst that is coming is kinda hard, but the truth is... I don't really feel like writing that version anymore.
> 
> I've seen some of you who were like really sad about the angst and the others were happy it was happening.
> 
> The thing I'm asking is : do you want a soft version of the angst, or the real and hard version? 
> 
> I'm willing to write the version you want. So feel free to tell me which one appeals to you.


	25. protecting Lizzie is my priority, it always has been

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.. Who's ready for some angst? 
> 
> I'm warning you, it's starts very early in the chapter. So... you know. I'll warn you all when the angst is over (it'll take a couple of chapters...).
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy this anyway.

Josie drags her feet as she follows Lizzie to another store. They've been shopping for the last three hours, and Josie's feet are killing her. The blonde twin doesn't seem affected though, she goes from one store to another. Lizzie said new clothes for a new year are essentials, so Josie had to follow. It's been two days since she came back from Hope's family cabin, and maybe she missed her girlfriend a little. They saw each other for a total of three hours in two days, and that really wasn't enough. 

 

"Lizzie… I'll wait for you in the food court, okay? I'll just go sit down and have a milkshake or something. I'm tired."

 

Lizzie rolls her eyes. "You can say the truth, you want to go sit down and text Hope."

 

Josie blushes. "That- okay, yes that is exactly what I'm gonna do."

 

"You two spent three days together, wasn't that enough?"

 

Josie chuckles. "No, it wasn't. Meet me when you're done."

 

Without waiting for her twin's answer, Josie walks out of the store. As soon as she gets to the food court, Josie goes and orders a milkshake. An idea pops in her head.

 

"I'll take a a peanut butter blast, with whipped cream on the bottom please."

 

The guy behind the counter gives her a weird look, but he does as he's asked. Josie gets her milkshake and then she goes to sit at a table. She quickly snaps a picture of the milkshake before sending it to Hope.

 

To Hope :

 

_I can't get a certain someone out of my head… So I ordered their favorite milkshake._

 

Josie smiles and hits send. She puts her phone on the table and then takes a sip of her milkshake. When someone pulls a chair at her table, Josie immediately looks up. She's surprised to see Dana Lilien sitting down in front of her with a smile.

 

"Hi Josie." 

 

"Dana… hi. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

 

Dana laughs a little. "Let's not pretend, okay? Before I say anything else, I want to tell you that nothing that will happen has anything to do with you. I actually happen to think that you're not that bad."

 

"Uh, thanks?" Josie says with a frown.

 

"Okay, now that that's done…" Dana gets her phone out of her jacket's pocket. "I found something really interesting online during the holidays. My friend told me about an app called "The Stand-in", I just thought it was ridiculous but I had to check it out. It really surprised me to see a familiar face in the candidates."

 

During her speech, Dana goes through her phone. As soon as she's done talking, she hands Josie the device. The brunette has been tense ever since Dana said the app's name, and sure enough when she gets Dana's phone, Josie sees her face staring right back at her.

 

"You've been fake-dating Hope Mikaelson for three months, haven't you?" 

 

Josie's eyes widen. "I- uh- I mean…"

 

"Just tell the truth Josie."

 

"Okay. It did start like that." Josie takes a deep breath. "It's not fake anymore though. We're really in love, so if you're worried about Landon-"

 

Dana's smile gets wide, and she cuts Josie off. "I was hoping you'd say that."

 

Now Josie's more confused than ever. Wasn't Dana worried about Hope trying to get Landon back by making him jealous? 

 

"I guess you heard about Landon breaking up with me… Well, he wants Hope back, you see? Of course, he wants her back. I mean, Hope Mikaelson has everything. She's captain of our volleyball team, has the best grades in our whole year, and she even has the boy I'm in love with. The thing is… She doesn't actually want him, and that pisses me off even more." Dana's expression is angry now. "So I decided that the only thing I could do was make her suffer, the thing is, I had no idea how I could do that. Last week, when I went to visit my mother at her pharmacy, I saw your sister there with your mother. On the counter, I saw a pill bottle and I got curious. It had Lizzie's name on it." Dana smirk and takes her phone back. "I took a picture, and did some research. Turns out Lizzie Saltzman is actually crazy."

 

"Lizzie's not crazy!" Josie immediately defends her twin. "She's bipolar, and what does her mental health has to do with Hope?"

 

"Nothing, but it made me think… I'm sure Lizzie doesn't want people to know about her mental health issues, right? Wouldn't it be really sad if that picture was to be sent to the whole student body of Mystic Falls High?"

 

Josie's eyes widen as she understands very clearly what is happening. "You're trying to blackmail me."

 

"No, I would never. I'm just… you know, I thought we could help each other out."

 

Josie tightens her jaw, but she refuses to let Dana intimidate her. She looks the blonde girl straight in the eyes. 

 

"What do you want me to do?"

 

"Break Hope's heart. You break up with her, and I make sure no one knows Lizzie needs pills to stay sane."

 

It feels like a knife through the heart. Dana is giving her an impossible choice. Breaking the heart of the girl she's hopelessly in love with, and protecting her sister. Or refuse to break up with Hope, and put a knife in Lizzie's back. 

 

"Like I said before, believe me Josie it's nothing personal." Dana says, her smile fading from her lips. "It's just the best occasion to get back at Hope, or hurt Lizzie. You're colateral damage."

 

Josie knows her eyes are filled with tears, and she quickly makes a move to wipe them away angrily. 

 

"You're a horrible person."

 

"Oh, honey." Dana shakes her head. "I'm being nice here. I'm giving you a choice and everything."

 

"A choice? Break Hope's heart and mine too in the process, or let everyone know Lizzie has mental health issues?"

 

Dana rolls her eyes. "Look, just make your decision, you're running out of time."

 

"What? You're asking me to choose now?"

 

"I'm not a patient person." Dana's eyes flicker to a figure behind Josie. "Oh, look it's Lizzie coming our way. You have like thirty seconds to make your choice."

 

Josie looks behind her. Lizzie is there, walking to them with a frown on her face and determined steps. Josie swallows with difficulty, and turns to face Dana again.

 

"I'll break up with Hope. Delete that picture."

 

"I will, as soon as I have confirmation that Hope is heartbroken."

 

"What? How am I supp-"

 

"What the hell is going on here?" Lizzie asks as soon as she's close enough.

 

Dana stands up and smile at Lizzie. "Josie and I just had a wonderful little chat, didn't we Jo?"

 

Josie forces a smile. "Yeah."

 

"Bye Josie, I'll let you know about the thing we talked about as soon as school starts again, is that okay?"

 

"Perfect."

 

"Good, I'll keep that picture preciously in the mean time."

 

With one last mean smile, Dana walks away. Lizzie quickly sits in the seat in front of Josie.

 

"What was that about?"

 

"They're making a surprise for Hope. She wanted to know what I thought about it."

 

Lizzie frowns. "Doesn't she hates Hope?"

 

Josie shrugs and does her best to lie one more time. "Guess it's over."

 

"Weird." Lizzie's frown turn into a wide smile. "I found the perfect dress for tonight!"

 

As the twins walk together out of the mall, Josie takes her phone out of her pocket. She immediately notices the text she received from Hope.

 

From Hope : 

 

_My favorite! I crave a milkshake now… thanks._

 

_By the way… I can't wait to see you tonight._

 

_Love you xx_

 

Josie's heart tightens. How was she supposed to do what Dana was asking of her?

 

** * **

 

Josie stands outside of Hope's house. Hope was supposed to come over for their New Year's eve party, but Josie couldn't stand to spend one last perfect night with Hope. She had to do it now, or she wouldn't have the strenght to do it later. The brunette looks at her phone one last time, and reads the texts she exchanged with Penelope.

 

To Penelope : 

 

_Hi… can you come over to Hope's now?_

 

From Penelope : 

 

_what? why? aren't we all supposed to go to your house in like two hours?_

 

To Penelope : 

 

_She's gonna need you. come over as soon as you can please._

 

From Penelope : 

 

_Jojo… what is going on?_

 

To Penelope : 

 

_Just come quickly._

 

Josie takes a deep breath, puts her phone back in her pocket and then knocks on the door. It takes about a minute before the door opens, but when it does, Josie forces a smile. Hope's smile is wide and she looks beautiful. All dressed up for the party, her hair curly and falling freely on her shoulders.

 

"Josie, what are you doing here?" Hope opens the door wider to let Josie in. "Come in, it's cold."

 

Josie comes into the house. "Thanks."

 

"So, why are you here? I thought we were all meeting up at your place."

 

"Uh, yeah." Josie swallows with difficulty. Can we talk? In your room."

 

Hope's smile starts to fade. "I, uh, yeah."

 

Josie takes her coat off, and her boots too. She can practically feel the nervousness coming out of Hope. Josie forces herself to stay silent as they walk upstairs. She wipes her clammy hands on her jeans, and tries her hardest to stay strong. She had to do this, for Lizzie. Josie walks into the room first, quickly followed by Hope. The older girl closes the door behind herself before walking closer to Josie. Hope reaches for her girlfriend's hands, but Josie takes a step back.

 

"Please don't." Josie says as she moves away. "It would only make this harder."

 

"Josie… what's going on? You're scaring me."

 

Josie closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. When she opens her eyes and they meet Hope's, Josie's resolve almost dissipates, so she looks away.

 

"I don't think I can keep doing this Hope."

 

"Doing what?"

 

"This. Us." Josie's eyes flicker to Hope's face and what she sees breaks her heart.

 

Hope is devastated. "I don't- I don't understand. Where is this coming from? Everything is wonderful between us."

 

"I-I just…" Josie's eyes are full of tears and she doesn't manage to get a full sentence out.

 

"Did I do or say something wrong?" Josie doesn't say a thing, so Hope speaks again. "Is this… is it because I'm not ready to have sex? I-I could try, and you know-"

 

"Hope, no it has nothing to do with sex." Josie is quick to comfort the older girl, knowing full well how insecure Hope is about it. "We're just not working out."

 

"You're not making any sense." Hope says, suddenly angry. "Everything was fine this morning."

 

"It wasn't. I just… I didn't have the courage to tell you until now."

 

Hope turns around and runs her hands through her hair. She closes her eyes and tries to calm herself, tries to understand. Then she quickly turns around to face Josie again.

 

"Is this some kind of joke? Because it's not funny."

 

The door opens, and Penelope walks in. She quickly understands that the situation is tense. She looks between the two girls, and quickly sees Hope looks in distress. Josie's eyes are on her for a couple of seconds, before she looks back at Hope.

 

"This is not a joke, but please believe me when I say that I am sorry." Josie walks past Hope and to the door. "Take care of her, okay?" She asks Penelope and then tries to get out of the room.

 

Penelope gently, but firmly grabs Josie's forearm, keeping her from getting out of the room.

 

"Did you just break up with Hope?"

 

Josie's tears are freely falling now. She looks down, avoiding Penelope's intense gaze.

 

"Yes."

 

"Get back inside the room."

 

"I-"

 

"Now."

 

Penelope's tone of voice doesn't leave place to arguments. Josie walks back inside the room. Both Josie and Hope are crying, avoiding to look at each other. Penelope looks between them. She can't believe what is happening.

 

"Explain." Penelope demands of Josie.

 

"It's not working out."

 

"Bullshit Saltzman. Tell the fucking truth!"

 

"Penelope don't yell at her!" Hope defends Josie.

 

"I can't believe you're defending her right now! For god's sake Hope, the girl just broke your heart." Hope closes her mouth, not knowing what to answer to that. So Penelope looks back at Josie. "Now, explain yourself."

 

Josie feels like the weight of the world is on her shoulders, and she decides to get some of it off of her. 

 

"I can explain, but it can't get out of this room and my decision is final." She has the attention of the two girls in the room, so she spills the whole truth. She sees so many emotions on Penelope and Hope's face. Anger, sadness, outrage, understanding… "I have to protect Lizzie."

 

"When are you gonna think about you?" Penelope asks. "Is Lizzie's happiness worth more than yours?"

 

"Pen…" Hope says.

 

Josie shakes her head and crosses her arms. "You can't understand. Protecting Lizzie is my priority, it always has been."

 

"Let me talk to Dana, I'm sure I can-" Hope starts.

 

"No." Josie cuts her off. "I'm not taking any chances. Hope, please, you have to understand."

 

"You could officially break up, but see each other anyway. Be really carefull." Penelope says.

 

"What don't you understand in : I'm not taking any chances." Josie says, and then she sighs. She gives her full attention to Hope. "I love you, you know I do. Choosing between my sister and you might have been the hardest thing I ever had to do. You… you need to know that the time we had means the world to me. I'll remember it as the first real love I've ever experienced."

 

Hope can't take it anymore, she steps closer to Josie and pulls her in a tight hug. Josie thinks about pushing Hope away for a second, only to practically abandon herself in the older girl's arms.She cries, and she cries harder than she's cried before. Hope holds her, her own tears falling on her cheeks.

 

"I- I'll, uh, step out. Come get me if you need me." Penelope says before quickly stepping out of the room.

 

Hope gently guides Josie to the bed. They sit on it, and Hope pulls away slowly. Their eyes meet and very slowly, Hope leans in and kisses Josie. The brunette lets the kiss happen, she even melts into it. She tries to memorize every little detail. Hope's smell, is something she couldn't forget even if she tried. There's something very 'Hope' laced with a distinctive orange smell. She tries to ingrave in her mind how Hope's hands feel. In her hair, on her neck, on her waist… Lastly, there's the feeling and the taste of Hope's lips. The way they seem to perfectly fit on hers. The gentle kisses, the deep ones, the tentative ones… 

 

Hope pulls away. "One last night."

 

Josie is a little dazed as she opens her eyes. "What?"

 

"Spend one last night with me." 

 

"Hope…"

 

"That's all I'm asking. I-I get why you're doing this. I'm not saying I accept it, but I understand it. Just, please, spend one last night with me."

 

Josie sighs and closes her eyes. When she opens them again, they're full of sadness. "Don't you think it'll only hurt us more?"

 

"I don't care. I need you to be mine for a couple more hours."

 

Josie gives Hope a teary smile. "Okay, I think I can do that."

 

"Okay. So we're skipping the New Year's eve party and we stay here. My aunts are going at a party with their friends. We'll be alone." Josie nods. "I'll go tell Penelope to leave."

 

Hope stands up and exit the room. Josie takes a shuddering breath and tries to calm herself. This had been far worse than she had expected. Somehow telling Hope the truth was more heartbreaking than she thought it would be. Because now Hope felt bad for her, even though Josie was the one who had a choice. Josie shoots a quick text to Lizzie, letting her know she'll be staying at Hope's house for the night. Soon enough, Hope walks back into the room. Her cheeks are tear stained, but Josie can't help but think she's beautiful. The most beautiful girl in the world.

 

"What do you wanna do now?" Josie softly asks as Hope walks back to the bed.

 

Hope sits down next to Josie. "I just want to kiss you, cuddle you, you know?"

 

Josie gives Hope a sad smile. "Let's do that."

 

So they spend the next couple of hours doing just that. Josie gets a couple more hours to memorize the things she loves about Hope, but she'd never have enough to memorize everything. She's the first one to surrender to sleep. Hope keeps playing with her hair, even after she realizes Josie's deeply asleep. Earlier, Josie totally shattered her heart, but now that she understood what was happening, she wasn't willing to give up. 

 

"I'll figure something out my love. I promise you, I'll do anything to save our love."

 

Hope closes her eyes and allow herself to fall asleep. When she wakes up in the morning, it's to an empty and cold bed. Josie's gone, and Hope finally feels her absence like a knife in the heart. She curls into a ball on the bed and lets her tears fall. She tries to tell herself it'll all be okay, but she's not sure if she believes it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That one was hard to write. I actually didn't write at all this week because I couldn't write this chapter, but well, it had to be done so...
> 
> I hope it wasn't too painful? 
> 
> I'm sorry for any mistakes, it was kinda late when I finished writing this.
> 
> For those of you who wonders about the other versions I had in mind :
> 
> HARD VERSION : Josie doesn't tell Hope about Dana's blackmailing. Hope is heartbroken for real and tries her best to get Josie back. Dana becomes insistant, and Josie decides to date Jed to make sure Dana doesn't send the picture. Hope looses hope and gives up on Josie, until you know they get back together (this is a hosie fic after all)
> 
> SOFT VERSION : Josie tells everything to Hope immediately. They decide to break up, but keep seeing each other. They sneak around and are kinda cute actually. They find something to make Dana delete the picture and everyone gets to be happy (except Dana, seriously who wants her to be happy?)


	26. mission 'bring the bitch down' is so on

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey everyone!
> 
> I'm so sorry if the angst is hard to take for some of you :/ It shouldn't be too long hopefully.
> 
> This chapter is kinda sad, again.
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy it.

The two weeks following her break up with Josie, Hope is quite literally a mess. She sits in class, but doesn't listen to them. She skips volleyball practices, and missed a game. Hope even fails an exam for the first time in her life. She cries, spends a lot of time cuddling with Penelope, isolates herself in her art room. Freya and Keelin are at a loss. Hope doesn't speak to them a lot, she told them about the break up and that's about it. They do their best to be there for her, but Hope shut them out. Penelope is luckier, since she knows what is really happening. Hope lets Penelope in, but she has a tendency to cry as soon as Penelope tries to bring Josie up. She has a hard time processing everything that is happening, so thinking about a way to get Josie back is not something she can think about now. The only thing she actually thinks about is that she lost Josie.

 

Hope sent 13 texts to Josie. All of them went unanswered. Josie is ghosting her, she showed no sign of life since she left the Mikaelson household. Hope wished Josie would just answer. Even just to say hi. On friday morning, when she wakes up, Hope immediately checks her phone. When she sees there's still no text from Josie, Hope closes her eyes again to fight the tears that are again threatening to spill. She takes a deep breath to try and calm herself down. What was happening to her? She's a wreck. She hasn't been like this since the time her parents died. When the deep breaths don't work, Hope sits down in bed and throw her phone on the other side of the room. When it collides with the wall, the phone shatters. A couple of seconds later, Freya comes into the room with an alarmed look.

 

She sees the shattered phone on the floor, and Hope's distressed look. "Hope…"

 

Hope has a hard time to calm herself down. Breathing is getting harder as the emotions takes all the place. "The show's over, you can get the fuck out of my room."

 

There's a flash of hurt on Freya's face, but she quickly recovers. "You won't talk to me like this Hope." The blonde woman walks into the room and closes the door. She sees the anger on Hope's feature, and tries to not let it affect her. "Talk to me sweet heart."

 

Hope chuckles darkly and shakes her head. "No."

 

"Hope, you're scaring me." Freya says softly. She walks until she gets to Hope's bed, then she sits close to her niece. "I-I don't know how to help."

 

Hope's anger dissipates. This is her aunt Freya, the person who always swore to protect her and care for her. Of course everything she wants is to help her. Hope hugs her knees close to her chest and avoids to look at Freya, suddenly ashamed of how she acted moments ago.

 

"You-you can't aunt Freya." Hope manages to get out. "This is so… it just hurts, you know? It hurts so much."

 

"I know it hurts, sweet heart. Break ups are always tough but-"

 

"No. This is not- it has nothing to do with a normal break up. It hurts too much."

 

"Look…" Freya sighs. "Keelin and I, we talked this week. We feel really helpless and we're very scared for you. I want to know if it would be okay with you if I set you an appointement with Emma."

 

"I don't need to see Emma." Hope blurts out.

 

"Hope… You've been crying a lot. You missed volleyball practices, skipped a game. You failed your history exam. None of this is normal for you." Freya reaches to take one of Hope's hand in hers. "There's no shame in seeing a therapist Hope."

 

Hope closes her eyes and tries to think clearly for a moment. When she opens them again, the look on her aunts face is enough for her to take a decision.

 

"Would it reassure you if I said yes?"

 

"Yes, it would."

 

"Okay, set the appointement." 

 

A soft smile appears on Freya's face. "I was hoping you'd say that… so I already called Emma's office last night."

 

It gets a chuckle out of Hope. "Of course you did."

 

"Your appointement is at 1:30."

 

"I have school today." Hope replies with a frown.

 

"What about, we go to the mall instead? We could buy some clothes, get milkshakes and have a good time. Then, we could go have lunch and head to Emma's office after."

 

Hope manages to force a smile. "Yeah, sounds good."

 

Freya's smile gets bigger. "Good, I'll let you get ready then." 

 

The woman stands up and walks to the door. Hope bites her lip, and decides to stop her aunt.

 

"Aunt Freya, wait!" Freya turns around to look at Hope. "I'm sorry for the way I talked to you earlier. I was out of line."

 

Freya smiles. "Apologies accepted."

 

Then she's out of the door. 

 

** * **

 

Hope sighs and leans her head against the window of her aunt Freya's car. Freya is driving them back home after Hope's appointement with her therapist. Hope closes her eyes and sighs as she listens to the music she just put on. Sad music, it had to fit her mood after all.

 

_I'm desperate for a message_

_Calling out your name_

_I'm sending a raven and a dove_

_Trying to quell the panic_

_Rising in my chest_

_Like a mother at a missing person's desk_

 

Freya takes her hand in hers just as the lyrics of the song hit her hard, and Hope is thankful to have such a wonderful family. Hope opens her eyes and looks at Freya, she gives her aunt's hand a squeeze and even manages to send her a smile. They don't talk about the what happened in Emma's office, it's a private matter. The only thing that's important is that a weight has been lifted from Hope's shoulder. 

 

When they get home, Hope sits down with her aunts for dinner, something she hasn't done since the break up. 

 

"I'm gonna go to my game tomorrow morning." Hope says as she lazily plays around with the food in her plate.

 

"Oh, really?" Keelin says with a smile.

 

"Yeah. Emma made me realize that I have to keep moving on. I can't let this bring me down."

 

"That's amazing Hope." Freya says.

 

"Yeah… I'm still hurt though, I'll try to get better, but it'll take time."

 

"We know that." Keelin says as she takes one of Hope's hands in hers, and of Freya's too. "And we're gonna be there for you all the way."

 

Hope smiles. "I know." She pushes the onions on one side of the plate. "I hate how I feel, and I hate onions."

 

"I can't do anything about the way you're feeling, but I can put less onions in our meals." Keelin says with a laugh.

 

Hope's smile gets more genuine. "Deal."

 

*****

 

Hope knocks at her coach's door. The woman immediately turns to look who's there. When her gaze falls on Hope, the coach's expression gets hard.

 

"Hope Mikaelson."

 

"Coach…" Hope says as she walks in the little room. "I wanna apologize for the two practices I missed this week. I also missed a game last Saturday. I'm really sorry, believe me."

 

"You didn't just let me down Hope, you let the whole team down. You're their captain, they count on you. You can't afford to miss practices, to skip games."

 

"I know. I messed up, but I will make up for it, I promise. If you'd just give me a chance-"

 

"I'm not the one who's gonna make this decision." The coach lifts her chin. "This will be a team's decision. Let's head to the locker room."

 

Hope follows the coach to the locker room as nerves start to invade her. She just hopes it would end well. As soon as they walk into the locker room, all eyes are on them, including Dana's. Hope tightens her jaw and does her best not to actually murder the blonde girl. She keeps her eyes as far away from Dana as possible. In front of the whole team, Hope repeats her apology and asks for a second chance. Every girl in the room is silent for a moment, they look at each other, trying to make a decision. 

 

Lili Brooks is the first one to speak. "Okay, seriously, are we really gonna spend another game without Hope? She's our captain, and I vote that we give her a second chance." 

 

There's a couple of "Yeah" going around, but some girls still look unsure.

 

"I don't think we can count on her anymore." 

 

Hope immediately turn to look at the person who said that. Dana, of course it was Dana. If looks could kill, Dana Lilien would be dead.

 

"I vote we get a new captain." Dana adds.

 

It breaks Hope's heart when some girls agree with her. She looks at the coach, silently asking the woman what would be happening.

 

The coach sighs. "Let's make a vote then. One by one, I want you to come to my office and vote. We give Hope a second chance, or we get a new captain." The girls all agree. "Hope, please wait in the gym."

 

Hope nods, but her whole body is tense. And to think she thought her situation couldn't get worse. Hope walks to the gym and sits on the bleachers. Her nervousness is so hard to deal with that she decides to do the only thing that could make her feel better.

 

To Josie: 

 

_hey…_

 

_I know you won't answer this, but I really wish you would._

 

_I might lose my spot on the volleyball team. I skipped two practices and a game. My team mates are angry, and Dana suggested they get a new captain._

 

_I'm scared._

 

_could you just… I don't know. say something._

 

Hope looks outside the gym and sees the girls waiting in line to vote in the coach's office. She looks back ahead of herself, before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Her eyes pop open when her phone alerts her she received a text. Her eyes grow wide when she sees Josie's name.

 

From Josie : 

 

_Everything will be okay._

 

Hope stares at her screen, she has a hard time believing her eyes. It's crazy how four words can make her feel so much better, and happier. Hope hesitates to write something back. She's scared to say the wrong thing, to push Josie to go back in her silent state. 

 

"Shit. This shouldn't be so hard." Hope mutters. 

 

To Josie : 

 

_thank you._

 

_I love you._

 

As soon as she writes the second text, Hope knows it's a bad idea. She almost deletes it, but then she decides to just send it. Josie would probably not answer anyway. It takes a couple of seconds for Josie to answer, and Hope is even more surprised when she reads her next text.

 

From Josie :  

 

_I know. I love you too, you know I do._

 

Hope is about to write another text, but then the coach calls her name. With hesitation, Hope puts her phone back into her pocket before walking to meet the coach and the team. As soon as they're all in the locker room again, the coach starts to count each vote. Relief washes over Hope as soon as she sees that there's only two papers in favor of getting a new captain, the majority of the team wants her to come back.

 

"The team decided Mikaelson, welcome back. Don't you dare screw up again."

 

"I won't, believe me."

 

"Change yourself, the game is in less than an hour."

 

"Thank you coach." Hope turns to her team mates. "Thank you everyone."

 

** * **

 

On the other side of town, Josie is not doing much better. Her whole family was more than surprised to learn she broke up with Hope. Her mother even looked a tiny bit devastated. Alaric lookes mostly confused, but he did his best to be a supportive dad. The one that really was surprised was Lizzie. Josie's blonde twin immediately demanded a 'twin meeting'. 

 

"What the hell happened?"

 

"Nothing. We're not working out."

 

"What?" 

 

Josie clenches her jaw. She decides to rely on anger to mask her true feelings.

 

"Get off my back, okay?!" She pratically shouts. "Mind your own freakin' business for once."

 

Josie almost winces at her own words. It's clear she just hurt Lizzie. The blonde is taken aback. When she sees Josie is serious and most definitely angry, Lizzie swallows and grabs her bag.

 

"Whatever. Deal alone if that's what you want. I was gonna sleep at MG's anyway."

 

Then the blonde walks out, leaving Josie to fight her real emotions. The sadness, the loss, the anger. She remembers clearly the look on Hope's face when she told her they were over. She'll remember every second of that night, the good and the bad. In that moment she feels so alone. She has no one to turn to. She can't confide anything to her sister, and her best friend already broke her trust once. The tears start to fall from her eyes, and she lets them. She stands in the middle of her room and just cries. She's not even sure how she feels anymore. In fact, she feels so much that it feels like she feels nothing at all. 

 

There's a knock on the door and then a voice. "Josie, love, are you okay?" Caroline asks.

 

Josie sniffles, and quickly wipes her tears away. She does her best to calm herself quickly, she doesn't want to alarm her mother.

 

"I'm fine mom." She says, and her voice almost doesn't waver.

 

"Are you su-"

 

"I said I'm fine." Josie repeats.

 

"Okay. If you need anything, I'll be in the living room."

 

Josie doesn't answer. Instead, she walks to her speaker and quickly puts some music on. She puts it loud, loud enough to disturb her parents. Neither of them come to tell her to reduce the volume.

 

** * **

 

It's the second week after the break up. Josie decided to answer Hope's texts when she saw how distressed her ex-girlfriend seemed. She just hoped that Hope wouldn't loose her spot on the volleyball team, Josie knows how much that counts for Hope. The brunette takes a seat in one of the booth of the Mystic Grill. She's alone, she's been mostly alone since the break up. Isolating herself from MG and Lizzie is hard, but necessary. Josie orders a milkshake, and without realizing it, she orders Hope's favorite. As soon as the waiter gives it to her, Josie's heart painfully clench. She really didn't need this.

 

"Josie? Hey, it's good to see you again."

 

Josie looks up. She's surprised to see Jed smiling kindly at her. "Jed, hi."

 

"Do you mind if I sit?"

 

Josie looks at the empty seat infront of her, and then back at Jed. "No, of course not." The boy sits down, and Josie decides to speak again. "I'm sorry I never called you by the way."

 

"Oh, it's cool." Jed smiles again. "Penelope, ,my cousin, you know her right? Well, she told me you were dating Hope." He chuckles. "Actually, she said :'You fucking twat leave Hope's girlfriend alone.' " It makes Josie laugh, and suddenly Josie feels better than she has since the break up. Jed joins in before speaking again. "We could be friends though, right?"

 

Josie gives him a little smile. "I could really use a friend right now."

 

Jed's smile gets bigger. "That's settled then. What do you need a friend for?"

 

"I broke up with Hope."

 

"What?" Jed looks confused. "Why?"

 

"If I tell you the truth, can you swear you won't tell?" 

 

"Yes, of course."

 

Josie takes a deep breath and then she tells him everything. Maybe it was a bad decision, after all she didn't know much about Jed. She couldn't know if he was trustworthy or not, but right now all Josie really wants is to get some of the weight off of her shoulders.

 

"Shit, that sucks dude." Jed lets out. "Sorry, I didn't mean… Can I call you dude?"

 

Josie chuckles. "Sure."

 

"Good, that's good. " He stops talking for a couple of seconds. "Isn't there a way you two could still see each other? Like keeping it a secret or something."

 

Josie shakes her head. "No, I'm not risking it."

 

Jed nods. "You said she was supposed to delete the picture."

 

"She didn't. That… that bitch said she'd keep it 'just in case'." 

 

The boy nods again. "Let's find a way to get back at her then. If we find something bad about her, we could blackmail her too."

 

Josie smiles. "Yeah, that could work. The thing is, I know nothing about her."

 

"I go to the same school as her. I could find something, I'm sure."

 

"You'd do that for me?"

 

"Sure, you're my dude now."

 

Josie giggles and shakes her head. "Yeah… dude."

 

They smile at each other, and then someone calls Jed's name.

 

"Jed, man, wanna play pool with us?"

 

Jed looks at his friends, then back at Josie.

 

Josie smiles. "Go play with your friends."

 

"Okay, cool. You still have my number, right?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"Cool. Text me so I'll have yours too." He stands up and walks away, only to come back a second later. "Oh and don't worry… Mission 'Bring the bitch down' is so on."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! 
> 
> So I hope it wasn't that bad this time again.
> 
> You know... In the first version of the chapter, Josie doesn't answer Hope's texts. BUT I couldn't have an entire chapter without Hosie interacting, it was impossible. And Josie wouldn't do that to Hope so...
> 
> The song Hope listens to it "Lose You" by Noah Gundersen


	27. i can't believe Lizzie did that

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm already back :D
> 
> Who's ready for this one ;) ?
> 
> Little song suggestion for this chapter : "Love you to death" By Chord Overstreet. It was played on Legacies and fits this chapter wonderfully.

So maybe Hope should have planned her little intrusion into the Salvatore school. She didn't think about that though, the only thing she had in mind was seeing Josie. After the third week following their break up, Hope decided she had enough. She wants to see Josie again, and today is the day. When the coach told them at the start of the week that they were playing against the Stallions, Hope saw an opportunity and decided to take it. So she decided to skip the team bus and go with her car. She got to the Salvatore school early, just what she wanted. The one thing she didn't think about is the fact that the Salvatore school is a boarding school, so even after classes are over, there's still students hanging around. Hope tries her best to stay hidden, and to blend in when hiding is not a possibility. She gets weird looks, and she hears whispers. It's only when she locks eyes with MG that she knows she's just been busted. He immediately walks to her.

 

"Hope? Are you here for the game? I though it wasn't until 6." The boy says with an awkward smile.

 

"I, uh, yeah. The game, I'm here for the game." Hope says with a smile as she nods her head.

 

"Come on, I'll show you to the locker room." He starts to walk, so Hope follows him. "Where's your team?"

 

Hope bites her lip, then she finally decides to just tell him the truth. "They're not here yet. I got here early."

 

"Oh, okay. Does… does it have anything to do with Josie?"

 

Hope gently takes MG's wrist in her hand, and makes him stop. The boy turns around to look at her. 

 

"MG… I really need to see her." Hope takes a deep breath. "Do you know where I could find her? Please tell me she didn't go home yet."

 

MG suddenly looks uneasy. He avoids Hope's eyes. "Look Hope, I know we're friends, but… I can't tell you. Josie broke up with you, and I don't know why, but I'm sure she wouldn't appreciate me telling you where she is."

 

Hope lets out a frustrated sigh. "MG, I promise she won't be angry at you, okay? I won't even tell her you told me."

 

"I don't know…"

 

"I love her, MG. Please, I need to see her."

 

"I can't, I'm sorry." MG says as he shakes his head. 

 

Hope sighs in defeat, and then she forces a smile. "I'm sorry I tried to force your hand MG. I'm happy you're being a great friend to Josie." The auburn haired girl starts to walk again. "I'll just go back to my car and wait until my team gets here. Bye MG."

 

"Bye Hope." MG watches as she walks away, he closes his eyes debating with himself what to do. "You know, our music classes are really great. You should check them out."

 

Hope turns around with a confused frown. "The music rooms? Why would I...Oh." A big smile plays on her lips. "Thank you."

 

"For what?" MG says with a little smile. "I didn't tell you where Josie is."

 

Hope shakes her head. "Where are they? The music classes."

 

"Second floor, to your right. You can't miss them."

 

With a last nod, Hope heads upstairs under some curious gazes. As soon as she's on the second floor, Hope turns right. Everything is very elegant in the Salvatore school, so Hope isn't that surprised when a beautiful black sign with gold letters show her the way to the music classes. There's three classes, two of them are empty, and Hope feels kinda defeated when she gets to the third one and finds it empty too. She stands in the middle of the classroom and her heart sinks in defeat. 

 

"Hope?" Hope turns around, only to see Josie standing at the door. The brunette has some music sheets in hand and she looks stunned. "What are you doing here?"

 

"I-I got, uh, a game here later." Hope stutters. 

 

"At 6." Josie walks into the room and closes the door behind her. "Now, I'm gonna repeat my question, what are you doing here?"

 

Hope suddenly feels nervous. Josie looks pissed, and kinda scared. Maybe this was totally a bad idea.

 

"I wanted to see you." Hope takes a few steps closer to Josie.

 

"We agreed not to see each other again." Josie says, and then she takes some steps back. "You're taking risks. Dana's on your team, what if she finds out? I told you, protecting Lizzie is important to me."

 

"I know." Hope sighs and looks down. "I just… Can't we just think about each other for five minutes? I miss you."

 

Josie's face softens. "I miss you too."

 

Hope looks up, there's a bit of hope in her eyes. "Dana's not here yet. I took my car and got here early." Hope takes two steps closer to Josie, and this time the brunette doesn't move. "Can we spend a couple of minutes together?"

 

"I-I don't know." Josie says, her grip tightening on her sheets, crumpling them without noticing. "Hope, this is… we can't…"

 

"No one will know." Hope rushes to say. "You could, I don't know, play piano. I'd be fine with just sitting here and watching you." Hope pauses. "Okay, I didn't mean to sound creepy. I just really want to be with you for a moment. Even if it's only a minute, I'll take it."

 

Josie turns around and look at the clock. 4:31. "What time is your team supposed to be here?"

 

"Five."

 

Josie looks at the ceiling as she takes a deep breath. "I can't believe I'm gonna do this." She whispers to herself. "You can sit with me while I practice. You need to go at 4:45, okay?"

 

"Yes!" 

 

Josie gives Hope a little smile before walking to the piano. Hope follows her and stands awkwardly by the piano, unsure of what she's supposed to do now. Josie looks up at her and with a gentle smile, she pats the place left on the bench next to her. Hope sits down and wipes her clammy hands on her jeans. She silently watches as Josie places the sheets in front of her before starting to play. The brunette plays, and she does some mistakes, mistakes that go unnoticed by Hope who's quite mesmerized by her ex-girlfriend. Josie feels nervous with Hope by her side. She feels nervous of having the older girl watching her. She feels nervous about having her so close, and not being able to do anything to be closer. After one too many mistake, Josie stops playing and closes her eyes as she takes a deep breath to steady herself.

 

"I can go. If-if that makes you feel better." Hope says and makes a move to stand up.

 

Josie gently makes her sit again. "Don't"

 

Hope sits back down. They stay silent for a moment. Josie staring at the piano, doing her best to keep herself in check. Hope's eyes never leaving the brunette. After a minute or two, Hope lifts her hand and gently pushes a strand of Josie's hair behind her ear, she just wants to see Josie's face better. However, this action leads to another. Hope softly caress Josie's cheek, making the brunette stop breathing for a second. Josie turns her head to look at Hope, and the Mikaelson girl softly cup Josie's cheek. 

 

"Hope…" Josie says, her voice full of something Hope can't identify. 

 

Then Hope can't take it anymore, she leans in and captures Josie's lips with hers. Both girl sighs in relief as soon as their lips touch. Hope doesn't waste time and gently ask entrance into Josie's mouth with her tongue. Josie opens her mouth leaving Hope the pleasure of deepening the kiss. Hope wonders how she lasted that long without this, without her. Their tongues dance together, but Josie lets Hope in charge, she just follows her steps. Soon, the lack of air makes itself known, so with regret Hope breaks the kiss. Hope doesn't dare move too far, so she leans her forehead on Josie's. That's when she notices the way Josie grabbed her shirt in her fists. The brunette almost looks in pain, she's so tense that Hope immediately feels guilty. She tries to move away, and apologize, but Josie quickly pulls her closer again.

 

"Stay close. Please stay close." Josie begs.

 

Then they're kissing again. They kiss, and kiss again. Hope threads her fingers through Josie's hair, appreciating the smoothness of Josie's hair. Then she lets her hands fall on Josie's neck and pulls her incredibly closer. Josie's hands leave Hope's shirt to wander gently. The older girl shivers when Josie's fingers graze her bare skin where her shirt slightly drifted up. The brunette is quick to replace the shirt, knowing her ex-girlfriend could get uncomfortable. But uncomfortable would be the last thing Hope could feel right now, and she almost wishes she could tell Josie just that. 

 

They practically jump apart when Josie receives a text, the noise taking them by surprise. Josie quickly takes her phone out, smiles and then puts it back in her pocket. When her eyes meets Hope again, they share shy smiles.

 

"You should probably get to the locker room. It's already 4:44."

 

Hope heart's almost break all over again, but she forces a smile and nods. She should be grateful for what she got. The older girl stands up and starts walking to the door, only to stop dead in her track and walk back to Josie. The brunette is taken aback by Hope's sudden return. She silently watches as Hope sits back down next to her.

 

"I think I should have a say in this break up." Hope says. "I know why you're doing it, and I accept it. What I can't accept is the no longer seeing each other thing. I can't do this. Please Josie, don't do this to me."

 

Josie avoids Hope's eyes. "Hope, this is for the best. We'll only hurt each other by doing this."

 

"No! Seeing you once in a while is better than not seeing you at all." Hope breaths in and out. "Tell me you really don't wanna see me anymore. Tell me this meant nothing, and that you're moving on. Tell me those things, and I'll leave you alone."

 

Josie looks back at Hope with tears filled eyes. "That's not fair. You know I'm not doing this because I don't want you."

 

"Can't you just think about yourself for five minutes?" Hope says, getting a little angry. "I'm asking you to take a little risk, for you and for me." Hope looks at the time, 4:51. "We're running out of time." 

 

The auburn haired girl shakes her head and stands up, then starts to make her way out of the room. Josie quickly stands up too. She quickly makes her way to Hope and basically collides into her back, hugging her from behind.

 

"I love you so much." Josie says, burying her face in Hope's neck. "I don't want us to be apart. I hate this. I had the worst three weeks of my life. I've missed you so much. I kept listening to songs, and thinking to myself 'Hope would love this one'. I went to the Mystic Grill and unconsciously ordered your favorite milkshake. I spent hours, and I swear I'm not joking when I say hours, looking at pictures of us. I can't stand this anymore either." Josie waits for Hope to say something, but the older girl stays silent. "Please say something."

 

Hope pushes Josie's hands away, and for a second Josie feels her heart sink, but then Hope turns around. Her cheeks are stained with tears, but she's smiling. She's smiling so big that it's contagious, so Josie smiles too.

 

"I love you too, so so much." Hope says and puts her hands on Josie's neck. "I promise to be careful. Let's just… See each other from time to time. We could meet at the old deck, no one really goes there." Josie nods, still smiling brightly. "Now I need to go, or Dana could get suspicious."

 

"Kiss me one last time before going." Josie asks, her eyes already closing.

 

Hope leans in, kissing Josie softly on the lips. The kiss doesn't last long, but as she pulls away, Hope gently bites Josie's lip. The brunette groans as soon as Hope's lips are no longer on hers. 

 

Hope giggles. "So you liked the biting, uh? I'll keep that in mind."

 

A deep blush covers Josie's cheeks. Hope pecks her lips one last time before walking out of the room under the gaze of the brunette.

 

*****

 

Hope walks into the locker room under the stares of her team mates.

 

"You were here before us, how can you be late for the team meeting?" Dana asks with narrowed eyes.

 

"I needed to go to the bathroom, isn't that allowed?" Hope says with a frown, playing Dana's game.

 

"Enough girls, we need to plan the game." The coach says.

 

Hope feels Dana's intense stare, but decides to act like she doesn't. She needs to do her best to not be suspicious, even if she was dying to make the girl pay for what she was putting them through. She just had to be patient, they'd find a way to end this blackmailing bullshit. 

 

The team plans the game, and soon enough it's time for them to get into the gym and actually play. The Stallions are already in the gym when they get there. Hope smiles and waves at Lizzie, but the blonde doesn't reciprocate. She even looks, mad? Hope frowns and gets in place. Through the game, it doesn't take Hope long to understand that Lizzie is indeed angry, and that her anger is directed at her. The first half of the game is nearly over when Lizzie jumps in the air and hits the ball hard, making it land on Hope's face. The hit was totally intentional and Hope knows it. She falls on the ground, and quickly puts her hand on her left eye. The hit was hard. Hope's team mates surround her, and they're all quickly asking if she's okay. The coach quickly joins them.

 

"Mikaelson, get your hand off your eye." Hope does as she's told. "Can you open your eye?"

 

Hope tries, but immediately winces. "It's really painful."

 

The coach sighs. "Let me look." A pause as she inspects Hope's eye. "I think you're out for the game." 

 

Alaric gets to them. "Are you okay Hope?"

 

His tone is worried, and somehow it makes Hope feels better. "I'm fine Dr. Saltzman."

 

"She'll have a black eye. Do you have a nurse office where she could get some ice on it?" Hope's coach asks.

 

"Of course." Alaric says. "I'll have MG get you there Hope."

 

"Dr. Saltzman, please don't pull Lizzie out of the game. I'm sure she didn't do it on purpose."

 

The thing is Hope knows Lizzie did it on purpose, and she can tell Alaric knows too. Hope silently begs him to listen to her, and she sees him cave. He nods, and then he walks away to get MG. It takes the boy a couple of seconds to get by their side, and he immediately offers Hope a hand to stand up. As soon as they're out of the gym, Hope notices how uncomfortable MG seems.

 

"It's okay MG, just tell me where the nurse's office is, and I'll go alone."

 

MG looks at her like she's just gone completely insane. "What? Absolutely not." He scoffs. "I'm not like this because of you. I just can't believe Lizzie did that."

 

Hope chukles, but immediately regrets it when her eyes hurts. "Ow."

 

"Are you okay?"

 

"Yeah, I'll just have a black eye tomorrow." Hope smiles. "She's convinced I did something wrong, right?"

 

MG nods. "Why do you almost happy about that? Did you- did you actually hurt Josie?"

 

"What? No! I would never hurt Josie." Hope sighs. "I am happy though. I'm happy to see she's as protective of Josie, as Josie is of her."

 

MG nods. "They'd die for each other."

 

Hope sighs. "Yeah…"

 

MG stops in front of a room and opens the door. "It's here. The nurse is not here at this hour, but you can lay down and put ice on your eye." 

 

"Thanks MG."

 

"Do you want me to stay? I could keep you company."

 

Hope shakes her head. "Go back to the game. I'll be fine."

 

He nods, and starts to walk away. "I texted Josie. I might have filmed what happened and sent it to her."

 

"MG! I can't believe you did that. I don't want them to fight because of what happened."

 

"You'll sort it out with her then."

 

Then MG walks out. Hope sighs and walks over to the fridge. She opens the freezer and quickly takes an ice pack out. She takes her time to wrap it up in a cloth and then goes to sit down on the bunk bed. As soon as she sits down, Josie walks into the room. From her shortness of breath, Hope assumes she just ran to the nurse's office.

 

"Oh my god." She looks horrified, and then she rushes to Hope's side. "Are you okay?" Josie gently takes the ice pack away from Hope's eye, taking Hope's hand in the process. "I can't believe Lizzie did that. This is gonna bruise. Does it hurt badly? Can I do anything? Do you want me to-"

 

"Josie, please." Hope giggles, but then she winces. "I'll be fine. Believe it or not, this won't my first black eye."

 

Josie is standing right in front of Hope. She walks closer, until she's standing in between Hope's legs. She gently pulls her in, resting Hope's head on her stomach. Hope smiles and lets Josie do whatever she wants. She sighs and closes her eyes as Josie gently plays with her hair.

 

"Put the ice pack back on your eye." Josie gently tells her, so Hope does.

 

"I asked your dad to let Lizzie play the game."

 

Josie frowns and her fingers still in Hope's hair for a second, before moving again. "Why?"

 

"She was protecting you. I'm happy to see she's willing to protect you as fiercely as you're willing to protect her."

 

"We're twins. Special bond and all."

 

"Yeah…" Hope brings her arms around Josie, her gets her even closer. "You're taking a big risk right now."

 

"If Dana sees us today, then Lizzie would deserve it."

 

"You don't mean that."

 

Josie sighs loudly. "No, I don't."

 

"You should go. I'll go back to the gym and watch the game."

 

Josie swallows with difficulty, but she still pulls away. She looks down at Hope, and then leans in to kiss her gently. The kiss had barely begun, and suddenly it's over. Hope sighs, but doesn't try to keep Josie close. They have to let each other go for now.

 

"Next Saturday…" Josie starts before taking a deep breath. "Let's meet at the old deck. We could have dinner there and even spend the night. I'll have MG cover for me."

 

Hope nods. "Of course. I'll be there, and I'll prepare everything."

 

Josie smiles. "I love you. Take care of yourself this week, okay? And I'm sorry about Lizzie."

 

"I love you too, and please don't worry about me. Don't be sorry about Lizzie, like I said, I'm kinda glad she did it."

 

Josie giggles and shakes her head, and then she's walking out of the room, leaving a smiling Hope behind.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you all they couldn't stay away for long.
> 
> Maybe it's because I hate writing angst... but they're on their way back to each other people!!
> 
> I hope you liked this chapter and the little fluff :)


	28. did you just curse?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!
> 
> So, first I want to say I'm really sorry I disapeared for more than a week. I just had a rough time and didn't feel like writing. I'm really sorry to everyone that was waiting for a new chapter, I'll try to update quickly this time.
> 
> Secondly, I read the previous chapters (like all of them) and realized there's really a lot of errors. Grammar, and errors in general (like storywise.) I wanted to apologize for that to. 
> 
> Lastly, I want to thank all of you for how wonderful you are and how patient you are with me. I'm really lucky to have you all as my readers.
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy the chapter now

Hope parks her car in the same spot as the last time she's been here. There's no other car, so Hope lets out a sigh of relief. She managed to get here before Josie. When she gets out of the car, Hope stops for a second to appreciate the warmth of sun on her face. They were lucky, the day is warm and beautiful. Hope is wearing a light coat, it's more than enough for the day. Hope looks at the time on her phone, she barely has the time to set everything up before Josie gets here. So she decides to go faster. She gets everything out of the car, and it only takes her two trips to get everything to the deck. She doesn't stop to admire the landscape, even though it's breathtaking. Hope brought two blankets. One to put on the deck, and the other to share with Josie. It wasn't cold, but later it would get colder. She brought food for dinner, drinks and snacks. She even brought a speaker so they could listen to some music. Hope was hoping really hard for everything to go right. She couldn't handle it if Josie came here and told her they couldn't see each other again. Losing Josie made Hope realize just how much she cares about the younger girl. 

 

Hope is fixing the lights on the bars of the deck when Josie gets there. 

 

"Hope, this is… beautiful."

 

Hope quickly turns around, and the look of complete awe on Josie's face makes her smile.

 

"Not as much as you are." Hope says with a smirk.

 

A light blush covers Josie's cheeks. "Stop it."

 

Hope walks closer to Josie. "No. I don't ever wanna stop telling you how beautiful you are. Or how in love with you I am. If you really want me to stop, then you shouldn't be here." Hope reaches for Josie's hands and intertwines their fingers. "So, do you really want me to stop?"

 

Josie giggles and looks down for a second before looking back into Hope's eyes. "No. Of course not."

 

Hope smiles. "Good." Her eyes quickly flicker to Josie's lips. "Can I kiss you?"

 

Instead of replying, Josie decides to close the gap. The kiss is slow and gentle, and it makes Hope sighs in contentement. The tip of Josie's nose touches her cheek, and Hope realizes it's cold. She's about to pull away and ask Josie if she's cold, but the brunette keeps her close and deepens the kiss instead. When Josie takes the lead, and takes what she wants, it always makes Hope feel weak. She feels like she'd let Josie do basically anything she'd wanna do. At first, it used to scare Hope, but now she couldn't help but find it quite exciting. The sound of a text notification takes them both by surprise. Josie moves away and quickly excuse herself as she takes her phone out. She reads the text and smiles, writes a quick reply and then puts the phone back where it was. Hope frowns, it was the second time this happened. 

 

"Who's texting you?" Hope tries to casually asks.

 

"Oh, that's nothing."

 

Hope gives her a tight lipped smile. "Right"

 

Josie bites her lip as she tries to decide what to do. "It's Jed."

 

"Jed?" 

 

Hope looks completely shattered and it breaks Josie's heart. "Don't panic, okay? We're friends, bros even. He calls me 'dude', so it's totally platonic."

 

Hope sighs and runs a hand through her hair. She hates how she feels, she doesn't wanna be jealous. Does she even have the right to be jealous since they're technically not dating anymore? 

 

"I forgot something in my car. I'll be back."

 

Without another glance at Josie, Hope starts to walk towards her car. She takes deep breaths, trying to just act normal. When it doesn't work, Hope hops in her car. She sits in the driver's seat and closes the door. Hope closes her eyes and lays her forehead on the steering wheel. It takes about 30 seconds before the passenger door opens, and Josie sits in the passenger seat. Hope lets her forehead on the steering wheel, but she turns her head to look at Josie. Their eyes lock, but they don't say a word. After a while, Josie reaches for Hope's hand and gently holds it in hers. 

 

"Hope…"

 

"Our situation is killing me. I hate that I'm freaking out. I don't want you to think I'm a jealous freak or anything. It's just that I'm scared, okay? I don't wanna lose you."

 

Josie's whole face softens, and then she smiles. "You won't lose me. I'm sorry about all of this. We- we'll be together again soon, believe me." She squeezes Hope's hand. "Jed is helping me, we're trying to find something on Dana to blackmail her back."

 

"He's… helping you?"

 

Josie's smile widens. "Yeah, he's like the perfect spy. Dana doesn't know we're friends, so he's being sneaky and I'm sure he'll find something soon."

 

Hope sits back in her seat and chuckles. "So, I have no reason to be jealous."

 

Josie shakes her head. "No reason at all." She leans in and kisses Hope's cheek. "Why don't we go and enjoy that date you planned for us?"

 

Hope smirks. "Date? So this is a date."

 

Josie frowns. "What else would it be?"

 

"Well, a friendly dinner. I mean, we're not dating anymore."

 

Josie rolls her eyes and smiles. "Well, in that case. Hope Mikaelson, would you be my secret girlfriend? I promise it's not a permanent title, you'll upgrade to public girlfriend soon enough."

 

A big smile stretches Hope's lips. "I would love to."

 

Josie smiles back before getting out of the car, quickly followed by Hope. The auburn haired girl joggs to catch up with her now secret girlfriend. As soon as she's walking by Josie, Hope slips her hand into hers. Josie gladly lets Hope intertwine their fingers, and shoots her a blinding smile. Oh how she missed this. Being carefree with Hope is literally the best feeling in the world. When they sit on the blanket, the wind comes and it makes Josie shiver. Hope is quick to get up and and wrap the blanket around Josie's shoulders.

 

"You never wear warm enough clothes." Hope scolds with a gentle smile. 

 

"You're always there to keep me warm." Josie shrugs. "That's why I do it." Hope sits back down, and Josie notices something. "Your black eye is quickly fading away."

 

Hope grimaces. "Yeah, it's that weird yellow color now."

 

"I'm really sorry Lizzie hurt you."

 

"I already told you it's okay. Are you guys okay? You were not too hard on her, right?"

 

Josie sighs and looks at the sky. "We fought and my father grounded her. It was… ugly. I yelled at her, and I guess she didn't really understand why. Who could blame her, I mean for all she knows we're over. I was just so mad, and then she said she just wanted to protect me, and I couldn't be mad anymore. It's… rare, that she acts that way. Usually, I'm the one protecting and fighting for her. Ever since she was diagnosed as bipolar, I've felt really protective of her. My father says it's codependency. She needs me, and I'm happy she does. For once, she thought I needed her and she was happy about it."

 

Hope listens with attention. It's the first time Josie is so open about her relationship with Lizzie, and Hope feels like this moment is more important than she could know. She's left with nothing to say when Josie stops talking though. So, Hope leans in and lays her head on Josie's shoulder hoping her girlfriend would know she's there. 

 

"Could we stop thinking about all that is wrong right now, and focus on the evening we can finally spend together?" Josie softly asks. "I just want to be cheesy and cute with you for a couple of hours."

 

Instead of replying, Hope decides to take advantage of her current position. She turns her head until her lips are hovering Josie's neck, and when she sees Josie shiver, Hope knows it has nothing to do with the wind. She kisses Josie's neck once, and the little noise the brunette lets out pushes Hope to leave a second kiss there. As she goes to kiss Josie's neck for a third time, the brunette slightly pulls away, only to turn her head and connect their lips together. Hope smiles into the kiss. How could this be way more pleasant than in her memories? The Mikaelson girl decides to just stop thinking, and be in the moment, which leads them to deepen the kiss. The kiss is all kinds of good. Their tongues meet, and dance together. Josie's mouth is moist against Hope's and their breaths become one. Then Josie's hands start to wander a little, and Hope decides to go back to the brunette's neck. She kisses, sucks, even bites. The actions getting different reactions and noises out of the brunette. Suddenly, Josie pulls away. Hope's eyes pop open. She sees the the blush on Josie's cheeks, how flushed her face looks and the daze look the brunette gives her. The sight gives Hope butterflies and she just wants to feel her girlfriend close again, but Josie puts a gentle hand on her shoulder, keeping her away.

 

"We can't. It's getting way too far, way too quickly." Josie closes her eyes and sighs. "I love you, and please don't think this isn't what I want. This is everything I want, but not now and not here. I-I hope you understand what I'm trying to tell you."

 

Hope frowns. "I'm not sure I get it."

 

"Hope… Everytime you kiss me like that, I get…" Josie's blush is dark red now. "I get horny. I want to go further, you know?"

 

Hope blushes too, but a small smile plays on her lips. "Oh. I, uh, didn't realize. Or maybe I did, and I-"

 

"Hey, it's okay." Josie reaches for Hope's hands and plays with them, a soft smile on her lips. "We can take our time, you know I'm okay with that. I just need us to, you know, be more careful with how we act sometimes. Because now I could use a cold shower."

 

Hope smirks and shrug. "The lake must be cold enough."

 

Josie's eyes widen as her memories of the last time they were here flash in her head. "You wouldn't dare!"

 

Hope laughs and lays down on the blanket, facing the sky. Josie giggles a little too, and then she looks at Hope for a couple of seconds. When the image of her smiling girlfriend is imprinted in her mind, Josie allows herself to lay with Hope. They both lay down side by side, both their eyes looking up at the sky. The sun went to sleep a little while ago and the moon is now claiming the sky. Stars are everywhere, giving them a wonderful view. Hope reaches out to hold Josie's hand in hers, and a comfortable silence surrounds them. The Mikaelson girl is about to take her phone out to put some music on, but Josie's voice stops her.

 

"I'm hungry now."

 

Hope turns her head to look at Josie. "I brought sandwiches and a salad. I got drinks too."

 

"Do you mind if I-"

 

"I'll make you a plate. Just give me a minute."

 

Hope gets up and quickly goes over to the picnic. She fixes them two full plates, under the loving gaze of the brunette. 

 

"Let's play a game while we eat." Josie suggest.

 

Hope turns her head around for a second. "A game? What kind of game?"

 

"Well, we'll take turns to ask each other questions. I want to know more about you. I feel like I know some deep stuff, but not something simple like your favorite color."

 

Hope turns around and walk back to the blanket with both of their plates. She hands Josie one of the plates, and then she sits back down.

 

"It's purple." Hope answers. "Is my turn to ask a question now?"

 

Josie smiles, happy that Hope is playing along so easily. "Yeah."

 

"Rainy days, or snowy days?"

 

Josie grimaces. "I'll go with rainy days, I'm not a fan of cold weather." Hope smiles and nods. "What career are pursuing?"

 

Hope frowns and looks totally taken aback. "I'm… not sure. I know I should've it figured out by now, but I just don't know."

 

"That's okay Hope. Not everybody knows what they wanna do when they're 17."

 

"That's the thing though, I'm a senior now. Going to college next year and I have no idea what I wanna study." Hope sighs and takes a bite of her sandwich.

 

"Don't be too hard on yourself. Take your time. You could even take a year off or something."

 

Hope smiles, and instead of continuing on the subject, she asks a new question. "What do you wanna study?"

 

Josie beams. "I wanna be a teacher. That's what I always wanted to be. Maybe I could even teach piano or guitar to kids."

 

"I can definitely see you doing just that."

 

As they eat their meals, Josie and Hope keep asking each other questions. Hope has to admit that it was a wonderful idea, and she learned some very interesting things about her girlfriend. When they're done eating, Josie insists to be the one to put away their trash. During that time, Hope decides to put the playlist she made for their date. As soon as Josie walks closer, Hope sees the big smile on her face.

 

"I love this song!"

 

"Good. Wanna dance?"

 

Josie chuckles. "I love dancing with you." 

 

"I know."

 

Hope pulls Josie closer and then slowly begins to sway them as the piano and lyrics gently rocks them. Josie buries her face in Hope's neck, and when the smell of oranges fill her nose, it makes her smile.

 

"I love you so much."

 

"I love you too." Hope says back.

 

"It's starting to get colder."

 

"I know."

 

"I can't stay much longer, I have curfew and MG said he can't cover for me after 9."

 

Hope gets her phone out and quickly looks at the clock. 7:56.

 

"You should go soon, yeah." Instead of loosening her hold, Hope tightens it. "I'm gonna miss you so much."

 

Josie feels sadness fill her suddenly. "I'm gonna miss you too. We can text now though, and even call if we're carefull enough."

 

A bitter laugh escapes Hope's lips. "Sounds good."

 

"Hope, I know it's hard. Just, give me one more week. I'll do everything that I can to make everything right."

 

"Okay. I'll try to help Jed-"

 

No, don't! If Dana sees you two together, and then he tries to get close to her to get information, we'll be fucked."

 

Hope's eyes go wide and she pulls away. "Did you just curse?"

 

"I-uh- I, it slipped." A deep blush is darkening Josie's cheeks.

 

"You're adorable." 

 

** * **

 

Josie tiredly sighs as she walks into her bedroom. What she doesn't expect is to find a very pissed off Lizzie waiting for her.

 

"Where were you tonight?"

 

Josie rolls her eyes. "I was with MG."

 

"Oh, you were? Because I went over to his place, I wanted to crash your time with him in hopes to get us closer again, but you weren't there. I asked MG, and he refused to tell me. He even said he didn't know."

 

"Don't be angry at MG, he really didn't know."

 

"Who did you spend the night with Jo?"

 

"No one!"

 

"Oh yeah? Because I'm pretty sure that hickey on the base of your neck wasn't there earlier."

 

Josie's eyes widen, and she reaches to the side of her neck Hope had been kissing earlier. Hope must've left a hickey during their make out session and neither of them realized it. Lizzie's face softens when she realizes how truly lost and scared Josie looks. Lizzie immediately walks closer and pulls Josie in her arms.

 

"Oh my god, Josie did someone force you to do something?" 

 

"No." 

 

"You don't have to be afraid. Just tell me the truth and we'll figure out what to do next."

 

Lizzie's words are the one thing that makes Josie totally weak, and suddenly she doesn't have the strenght to keep everything from her twin.

 

"I was with Hope."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I know I said I would write Josie and Lizzie talking about what happened at the volleyball game, but I decided to have them talk about something else at the end instead 😏
> 
> I hope you liked it and that it was worth the wait my friends.


	29. i think she was already planning your wedding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!
> 
> So I thought... It's Legacies night, so why not post a new chapter?
> 
> In there you have almost 1 500 words dedicating to the twins, and the rest is Hosie related!
> 
> Enjoy my friends :D

Lizzie looks taken aback as Josie's words sink in.

 

"You have like 30 seconds to explain before I drive to Hope's house and beat her up for taking advantage of you."

 

Josie's eyes widen. "She didn't! It was totally consensual."

 

"Then why did you look so scared to tell me you were with her? And why did you break up with her, if you go and make out with her a couple of weeks later?"

 

Josie tiredly sighs and decides to just give in. It was useless to lie now. The brunette twin takes her jacket off  and leaves it on her chair as she walks to her bed. She sits down on her bed and take a good look at Lizzie. Her twin is standing between their two beds, closer to her own and with her arms crossed. The blonde looks concerned, and it makes Josie feel bad that she kept everything from her.

 

"Remember when I came back from Breckenridge, we went shopping together." Lizzie nods, prompting Josie to keep talking. "At one point, I got tired and decided to go to the food court to rest and text Hope, and then Dana joined me." Josie glances at Lizzie, the blonde is frowning. "She knew about the fake relationship, she found my profile on the app."

 

"I thought you deleted it."

 

"I forgot. I explained that Hope and I were really dating now, and that the fake-relationship wasn't a thing anymore. She looked happy to hear that, and I freaked out when I realized why. She asked me to break Hope's heart."

 

"And you did. Why?"

 

"Because she knows something else. Her mother is your pharmacist. Dana saw you there one time, and she decided to sneak in to find what you were there for. She knows you're bipolar Lizzie." Josie sighs and closes her eyes. "She blackmailed me. I had to break up with Hope so she wouldn't send a picture of your pill bottle to every teenager in Mystic Falls."

 

Lizzie's arms fall to each side of her body. She looks totally shattered by what she just heard. Tears are filling her eyes and she can't look away from Josie.

 

"Y-you did that for me." Lizzie's tears spill. "You broke Hope's heart, and yours too in the process."

 

Josie shakes her head. "Not exactly. I told Hope the truth, I-I couldn't just tell her it was over." Josie chuckles. "Penelope wouldn't have let me."

 

"But still. You guys had to stay away from each other. Or did you see each other the whole time? Like tonight."

 

Josie quickly shakes her head. "No. I told Hope the truth, but I did break up with her. We couldn't stay away for long though. She came to see me when her team played against yours last week. You know, the day you violently smacked a ball into her face."

 

"In my defense, I thought she must have done something to make you break up with her."

 

Josie smiles. "I know that's what you thought, but you still owe her an apology."

 

"Yeah, whatever." Lizzie rolls her eyes playfully before putting a serious face on again. "Josie… Why did you do that though?"

 

"To protect you, of course." Josie says with a slight frown, confused as to why Lizzie would ask such a question.

 

Lizzie sighs and walks over to Josie's bed. She sits next to the brunette and holds her hand.

 

"Josie, my happiness isn't worth more than yours." Josie's eyes meet Lizzie's. Both twins have tears in their eyes. "I don't want you to put your happiness at risk for mine, do you understand that?"

 

"I-I-uh…" Josie's words get caught in her throat. "You-you are in a good place right now. Dana has no right to jeopardize that."

 

Lizzie smiles and squeezes Josie's hand. "What about you? You were in happy relationship, with a girl you love, a girl that loves you back. Why did you let her jeopardize that?" Josie opens her mouth but not a word gets out, so she closes it again. The brunette looks down, she can't bring herself to look her twin in the eyes. "You are the best sister, the best twin, and the best person I know Jo. You give and you give, without ever asking for anything in return. You value the happiness of others before yours. You're selfless Josie, and you need to work on that. I appreciate everything you did for me, but now I want you to think of yourself."

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"I mean that tomorrow, you're gonna go see Hope and ask her to be your girlfriend again. You're not gonna feel guilty when Dana will send that picture." Lizzie takes a deep breath. "I'll get through this Josie. I have mom and dad, MG and most importantly, I have you. Whatever Dana does, I can take it now."

 

Josie shakes her head. "No, I can't do that! Lizzie… Hope, Jed and I, we're all looking for something to blackmail Dana too."

 

"That is… weird. Jed? The one that flirted with you while we were looking for Hope's Christmas gift?" 

 

Josie nods. "Yeah, we're friends now."

 

"Again, that's weird." Lizzie closes her eyes while she shakes her head. "Okay, be honest with me. If you do find something, will you, Josette Saltzman, really use it against Dana?" Josie opens her mouth to say yes, but closes it soon after. She bites her lip and look away. Lizzie rolls her eyes. "That's what I thought. Anyway, we don't even know if there's something to find."

 

Josie frowns. "There has to be something. Someone as mean as her has to have something she doesn't want people to know."

 

"Maybe we could just be better than her, don't you think? Let's not stoop to her level."

 

Josie looks Lizzie in the eyes, and a small smile makes its way on her face. She's so proud of Lizzie right now.

 

"Okay."

 

Lizzie smiles back. "Good." Lizzie lies on Josie's bed, quickly followed by her twin. Josie cuddles in Lizzie's side, and they both sigh and close their eyes for a couple of seconds. Their relationship is finally good again. "Now, tell me what happened tonight. I mean, Hope left a hickey on your neck, did it get heated tonight?"

 

The knowing smile on Lizzie's face makes Josie blush and quickly look away.

 

"It kinda did, yeah."

 

"Come on! Spill."

 

"It just feels so good when we kiss, you know? We kissed when I met her at the deck, it was great and deep, and I'm pretty sure it would have been deeper if Jed wouldn't have texted me."

 

"Uh, cockblocker much?"

 

Josie giggles. "Yeah. I had to tell her about Jed, and it freaked her out, so we had to talk about that. Then, we talked about you and the black eye you gave Hope." Lizzie gives Josie a sheepish smile. " And then we kissed again. That's when it got more heated. She kissed my neck, like three times and then I couldn't take it and I kissed her. With kissed with, uh, tongues and all. It just felt so right in that moment, and then my hands started to wander and she was kissing my neck again. I think that's when the hickey happened. I got so horny, so I stopped everything."

 

"Why?" 

 

"Promise to keep it to yourself?" Lizzie nods. "Liz, you won't even mention this to Hope, okay? I'm trusting you on this."

 

"You have my word."

 

"Good. Hope is a virgin. That's why she gets all weird when things get beyong kissing. I wasn't about to take her virginity outside on a deck when it's cold and all."

 

Lizzie shrugs. "You could have done it in her car."

 

Josie's eyes widen and she slaps her sister's arm. "Lizzie!" 

 

"It was a joke!"

 

Josie rolls her eyes. "Right. Anyway, she's not ready. When she realized where we were headed she got all flustered and awkward. I don't want her to ever feel uncomfortable with me. It just feels so perfect between us, Lizzie. I-I think she might be, like, my person." Lizzie's eyes go big. "Oh don't look at me like that! I know it's early and all, but…" Josie shrugs. "I can't help how I feel, right?"

 

"Right. And does she feel the same?"

 

"I think so, yeah." 

 

The look of pure love on Josie's face makes Lizzie's heart tighten. She sees just how much Josie loves Hope, and she just hopes that the Mikaelson girl wouldn't break something in her sister. Josie loved with her entire heart, and that kind of love can easily break someone. 

 

"Mom's gonna be over the moon when she'll know you're getting back with Hope. She was almost as heartbroken as you were when she learned about the break up."

 

Josie laughs. "I know, right? That was weird."

 

"Definitely. I think she was already planning your wedding."

 

** * **

 

Josie takes a deep breath to calm her nerves before knocking three times on the door of Hope's home. It takes a couple of seconds before Freya opens the door. The blonde woman looks confused and kinda upset when she realizes it's Josie at the door.

 

"Josie, hi."

 

"Hi Freya. It's good to see you again." Josie says with a little smile.

 

"I would like to say the same, but since you broke Hope's heart, it wouldn't be the truth."

 

Josie's smile falters, but she's quick to put it back on. "I guess it's only fair."

 

Freya sighs. "What are you doing here?"

 

"I was hoping to see Hope actually."

 

"Yeah, not happening."

 

Josie swallows with difficulty and tries her best to keep her courage. "I understand you're concerned-"

 

"Josie?"

 

The brunette's eyes snaps to look at stairs, and Freya turns around to look too. Hope is coming downstairs, she's wearing sweat pants and a way too large sweater, and she looks like a lost puppy.

 

"I was just telling her to go Hope, don't worry I'm handling this." Freya tells her niece with a comforting smile.

 

Hope frowns. "She doesn't have to go. Come on, aunt Freya, let her in."

 

"But-"

 

Keelin appears in the hallways. "Freya, let Hope handle this."

 

Freya looks about to protest, but one more look from Keelin and she decides to listen to her wife. The blonde woman opens the door wider to let Josie in and then she walks over to meet Keelin. Freya's eyes doesn't leave the teenagers as Hope walks over to Josie and the brunette gives her a shy smile. Keelin has to force Freya to walk away.

 

"Your aunt hates me." Josie says with a pout.

 

"I'm sorry about her." Hope avoids Josie's eyes. "I was just… really sad when we broke up and Freya is very protective."

 

"Don't apologize, she has every right to ressent me."

 

"Josie…" Hope meets Josie's eyes again. "Why are you here?"

 

Josie's whole face lights up. "I have good news!"

 

Hope smiles. "Did you find something on Dana?"

 

"No." Josie shakes her head. "I told Lizzie the truth."

 

"The truth?"

 

"About why I broke up with you. We talked a lot last night, and she was really sad that I did what I did to protect her. Hope… She told me to get back with you, and that she'll deal with what Dana will do."

 

Hope still looks unsure and she her left hand around her right elbow. "Josie, I don't want you to feel bad when it all happens though. We can… wait."

 

Josie frowns. "I don't understand. I thought you'd be happy. We get to be together again, and what? You don't want to?"

 

"What? No! I want to, it's just that I know you and when all hell will break loose you'll feel guilty. Guilty for hurting Lizzie when it could have been avoided. I don't want you to hate me."

 

Josie shakes her head and walks closer to Hope, until she can gently take the older girl's hands in hers.

 

"First, I could never hate you, I love you way too much for that. Second, I promise everything will be fine. Lizzie wants me to be happy, and she thinks she can handle what will come. I want to think of myself for once."

 

Hope's eyes are fixated on their hands. "So we can be a real couple again?" Josie nods. "I could kiss you right now if I wanted to?" Another nod. "Good."

 

Hope's hands are soon enough on Josie's neck as she gently pulls the brunette closer. The kiss is soft and gentle, and somehow full of relief. 

 

"What is happening?" Freya says as she walks closer to them.

 

Hope pulls away from Josie and gives her aunt an annoyed look.

 

"Isn't it obvious?"

 

"Hope…" Freya warns. "Okay, why is this happening then?"

 

Hope can't help but smile. "We're back together!"

 

"Oh, you decided that in the last five minutes? Because last time I checked, you were heartbroken."

 

"That's in the past now."

 

"Maybe I should let you talk-" Josie tries to escape the situation.

 

Freya looks at her. "Oh no, you stay here young lady."

 

"Why is this a big deal?" Hope says after she rolls her eyes. "We broke up, and now we're back together."

 

"It is a big deal Hope! You were so sad and lost that you had to see Emma!"

 

"Who's Emma?" Josie asks, confused.

 

"Hope's therapist."

 

"You see a therapist?"

 

"No, I saw Emma when my parents died, and… when you broke up with me."

 

Josie's face falls. "Hope… Why didn't you tell me?"

 

Hope avoids Josie's eyes and takes a few steps back. "I tried. You weren't answering my texts."

 

Tears fill Josie's eyes. "I had no idea. I'm so sorry, I would've answered if you would have told me."

 

Hope shakes her head. "I didn't want you to feel worse about the break up."

 

"Oh, _she_ breaks up with you and you don't want _her_ to feel bad?"

 

"Aunt Freya, you don't know the whole story." Hope says with a hard stare. "She didn't have a choice."

 

"Except that I _did_. I didn't know I was hurting you that much though. Hope, I'm so sorry."

 

Hope closes her eyes tightly and shakes her head. It wasn't supposed to go like this. They were supposed to be happy and cheesy and in love again. 

 

"Can we just stop? Please, I can't right now." She runs her hands in her hair and looks at Josie. "Can you stay? I want you to stay."

 

"Of course."

 

Hope looks at Freya, ready for her aunt to protest, but the blonde woman doesn't say a word. Hope offers her hand to Josie and it makes the brunette smile. Josie takes her shoes off quickly before taking the extended hand in hers. They walk upstairs under Freya's wary eyes. Josie is pleasantly surprised when Hope leads her to the art room. A soft smile plays on her lips when her eyes fall on the painting kit she got as Hope's Christmas gift. The kit was currently being used, paint containers were open and brushes we're wearing different colors. 

 

"I was talking on the phone with Roman when I heard your voice. I immediately said goodbye and came downstairs." Hope says when they're standing in the middle of the room.

 

"Were you telling him about us?" Josie jokingly asks.

 

A blush covers Hope's cheeks. "Yeah."

 

Josie gives her a smile. "Really?"

 

Hope nods. "I was telling him about last night. I told him we're back together, and… I might have told him about the moment we shared."

 

"The moment?"

 

"The _heated_ moment."

 

Josie cheeks take a dark shade of pink. "Oh."

 

"Sorry?"

 

"No, don't be." Josie takes a step closer to Hope. "He's like a brother to you. It's normal to talk about those things. I told everything to Lizzie last night."

 

Hope nods. "I actually brought you here to show you something."

 

"Oh, okay."

 

Hope walks over to a canvas covered by a sheet. She stands in front of it, and Josie can quickly see how nervous her girlfriend is. 

 

"I started this painting a little bit after we started fake-dating. You-you were like an inspiration. I hadn't felt like painting in so long… Since you came into my life, I feel like painting all the time. So, uh, yeah. I painted this, and now I feel like you should see it. I'm sorry if this is weird."

 

With her last sentence, Hope turns around and takes the sheet off of the canvas, revealing a beautiful painting of Josie. Josie's mouth opens in shock and awe. She walks closer to the painting and can't help but let tears spill on her cheeks. There were so many details, Josie couldn't even imagine how much time Hope spent painting it. The brunette turns to look at Hope, only to find the older girl clearly uncomfortable and unsure.

 

"Hope, this is so beautiful. I can't believe you actually painted _me_."

 

"How could I not paint you? You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

 

Josie chuckles and gently wipes away her tears. "Careful Mikaelson, I could fall for you."

 

Hope shrugs. "I'd be there to catch you."

 

"Of course you would."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!!
> 
> I hope you thought it was okay! So the angst is over! Hosie are finally back together and everyone will soon know (including Dana). 
> 
> Hope you liked it :D


	30. no promises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! It's been more than a week again. I've been really sick for more than a week now 😷 I wanted to write, but I literally had no energy to do so. But I'm back now! Hopefully no more things come up and I can update regularly again. 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy this one ;)

Hope sighs as Josie gently traces some symbols on the skin of her arm. She has a hard time believing she's in Josie's arms after the hellish month they just went through. They've been cuddling on Hope's bed the whole day, barely even talking. Sometimes they'd kiss, other times they'd just cuddle, like now. Hope can't help it, she just doesn't want it to stop. Maybe she suffered from Josie withdrawal. Hope closes her eyes, this feels like heaven. It's so peaceful, she could almost fall asl-

 

"We've been in this room for the whole day." Josie says.

 

Hope's eyes snap open. Suddenly, everything she thought and felt seconds ago is giving her anxiety. Were they not on the same page? Is Josie not content with just being with her?

 

"It feels really amazing, but… I think we need to talk too." Josie adds when Hope doesn't say a thing.

 

After a couple of seconds, Hope turns around in Josie's arms. As soon as her eyes meet Josie's, the Mikaelson girl feels better. Love, understanding and happiness, that's what's filling the brunette's eyes.

 

"I, uh, yeah." Hope blurts out. "If t-that's what you want." 

 

Josie smiles before leaning in to leave a little kiss on Hope's nose. "It is what I want." Hope nods. "Can I ask you a question?"

 

"Sure."

 

"You went to therapy when I broke up with you. Is that something you ressent me for?"

 

Hope frowns. "What? No. I went to therapy because Freya was worried. And okay, yeah, maybe I needed it. It really helped to see Emma again, she always gives me good pep talks."

 

"Pep talks?" Josie says with an amused smile.

 

"That's what I like to call them. It makes all of it less formal." Hope says with a shrug. "Josie… I don't want to tell you too much. I don't want you to feel bad, okay? Yes, I was really sad during the break up, and yes I had to go to therapy again to feel better. Maybe I'll keep going for a while too, just to keep everything in check."

 

Josie's eyes are a little wide as she listens, and when Hope's done, she nods. "Whatever you think is good for you."

 

Hope smiles. "Okay. Now, can it be my turn to speak?"

 

Josie smiles back. "Of course!"

 

Josie watches as Hope suddenly looks a little bit nervous. She silently watches as a light blush covers her girlfriend's cheeks. The Mikaelson girl's eyes doesn't meet Josie's. Whatever Hope wants to talk about, it's making her nervous. Josie lifts her hand until she can rest it on Hope's cheek, and then she softly carress the cheek in order to give some comfort to the older girl. With that simple gesture, Hope's eyes meet Josie's again, followed by a shy smile.

 

"You know how I talked to Roman about yesterday?" Josie nods. "I was actually asking him how to know if I'm ready to have sex." Josie opens her mouth, but Hope is quick to put a single finger on her lips to silence her. "Don't. I know you said we can take our time and all. It's just… maybe we don't have to? I-I was really into it last night, I think I wouldn't have minded if things had gone further."

 

"Oh…" Josie lets out.

 

Hope giggles as she notices the blush on her girlfriend's cheeks. "I'd like for us to try and go further, if you are ready too of course."

 

"I-I am, but you don't mean now, right? Because your aunts are here and I'd feel really uncomfortable with do-"

 

Hope can't help but laugh at how embarrassed Josie looks. Josie's mouths drops in pure outrage. After a couple of seconds, a smile tugs on her lips though. To cover that smile, Josie grabs a pillow and hits Hope's shoulder with it. The effect is immediate. Hope stops laughing and turns her head to Josie. She has a devilish smile on her face.

 

"Did you really just hit me with that pillow?"

 

Josie lifts her chin in defiance. "I sure did."

 

"Game on Saltzman!"

 

Hope grabs her own pillow and and immediately tries to hit Josie with it, but the brunette is already out of bed. They chase and hit each other for an undefined amount of time. Every hit is welcomed with laughter and smiles, both girls lost in the moment. At one point, Hope realizes Josie's getting tired, so she decides to put an end to their game. Without a warning, Hope lifts Josie by the waist and carries her to the bed. The brunette lets out a little scream of surprise.

 

"Hope! What are you doing?!"

 

The Mikaelson girl doesn't answer, she just dumps Josie on the bed. The brunette is a laughing mess, and Hope allows herself to stare at her for a couple of seconds. This was the kind of moment she'd never get tired of sharing with Josie. She loved how they could be careless and free together, just like kids. When Josie's laughter starts to die down, Hope gets on the bed and carefully straddles Josie. The brunette stops laughing and her eyes gain these little stars in them that make Hope feel so loved. Hope swallows the little excess of emotions, and slowly lifts her hands in front of her. It's as if Josie reads her mind, because a second later, Josie lifts her own hands and intertwines their fingers. Hope takes a deep breath before gently pushing Josie's hands down. She lays their hands on each side of Josie's head, and now they're so close that their breathing becomes one. Hope brushes her lips to Josie's, and when the brunette tries to close the gap, Hope pulls away a little. Their lips are brushing again, and Hope sees the adorable confused frown on her girlfriend's face.

 

"I love you." Hope whispers, and then she closes the gap without a second thought. 

 

Somehow this kiss feels like no other kiss they've shared before. It's not slow, gentle and careful. The pacing is fast, and almost bruising. Tongues and teeth are involved. Hope wonders for a brief moment if the fact they actually talked about having sex has something to do with it. She's enjoying this kiss a lot more than she thought she would enjoy a rough kiss. Maybe it has something to do with the little sounds and moans coming out of Josie's mouth here and there. Suddenly, Hope remembers the reaction she got out of Josie when she bit her lip the week before. The older girl decides to try that again. She ever so gently pulls on Josie's bottom lip with her teeth as she breaks the kiss. The moan it gets out of Josie's mouth has an immediate effect on Hope. She feels all kinds of hot and bothered, and she's definitely very horny. She's about to just dive right in and kiss Josie again when there's a loud knock on the door. Instead of jumping away from Josie like she did at the Saltzman household, Hope takes all her time to just lay by Josie's side as she lets out a loud groan.

 

"Yes?" Hope calls out.

 

"Can I come in?" Freya asks from the other side of the door.

 

Hope looks at Josie, the brunette's cheeks are literally on fire as she sits up in bed and try to smooth her hair down. Hope sighs and sits up too.

 

"Yeah." 

 

Freya opens the door, but she doesn't walk in. She takes a good look at the two teenagers sitting on the bed. Freya is beyond confused at this point. Hope and Josie were broken up a couple of hours ago, and now they were most likely making out? 

 

"I called Rebekah to tell her you're together again." Freya says.

 

Hope's eyes go wide. "Oh my god, what did she say?"

 

"She's on her way."

 

Hope rolls her eyes and crosses her arms. "This is ridiculous."

 

"We're concerned." Freya looks from Hope to Josie, and to Hope again. "We're afraid your relationship might be… toxic."

 

Hope can feel how tense Josie gets when she hears the words coming out of Freya's mouth. She quickly turns her head to look at her girlfriend, only for her heart to sink. Josie looks so upset, but instead of explaining herself to Freya, the brunette turns her attention to Hope.

 

"I'm so sorry. I caused all of this and now your whole family is gonna want us to break up. I mean, maybe I just deserve it. I should have picked our happiness over Lizzie's.  Or just tell Lizzie the truth from the start, yeah I think that's what I should-"

 

Hope gently places a hand on Josie's mouth to stop her rambling. "Stop." Josie doesn't protest, her tear-filled eyes only avoid Hope's. "Look at me please." It takes a couple of seconds, but Josie does. Hope takes her hand off of Josie's mouth. "I love you, and none of this is your fault. Dana blackmailed you, end of the story. I told you before, I understand why you did what you did." 

 

Josie nods, and tears fall on her cheeks. "I love you too."

 

"Sorry to interrupt, but did I hear the word blackmail?" Freya says as she walks inside the room. "Who is Dana and why did she blackmail Josie?"

 

Hope takes the time to gently wipe away Josie's tears before looking at her aunt. "Dana is one of my team mates. She's also the girl Landon broke up with me for. He actually cheated on me with her. She's basically a horrible person." Hope sighs. "Landon broke up with her because he wants me back. Since Dana can't make him suffer, I guess she decided to make me suffer."

 

"She said you have everything. That's why she wants to hurt you." Josie speaks up. "You're captain of the volleyball team, has the best grades, and you have Landon's heart."

 

"Oh... "

 

"What about the blackmailing part?" Freya asks again.

 

"She found out about my sister's mental health issues. She threatened to tell everyone about Lizzie's mental illness if I didn't break Hope's heart. I-I had to hurt someone, my sister or Hope. I was so sure it would break Lizzie if everyone learned about her being bipolar that I decided to break up with Hope. I couldn't hurt my twin like that."

 

The information take some time to settle in for Freya. Shock, anger and outrage cross her features. 

 

"We can't tell Rebekah all of that." Freya deadpans.

 

Hope and Josie look at each other with confused eyes. "Why?" They say together.

 

"Because she'd have no qualms about murdering a teenager, and I don't feel like hiding a body."

 

Hope and Josie look back at each other, neither of them are sure about just how much of what Freya just said is true, but they're both not ready to test it.

 

"What do we tell her then?" Hope asks.

 

Freya thinks for a moment. "I'll handle it."

 

*****

 

"A misunderstanding? You broke up because of a misunderstanding?"

 

Josie sends a nervous look at Hope, but the auburn haired girl is just as nervous as her girlfriend is.

 

"Y-yeah." Hope nods. "It was stupid. Turns out Jed is just Josie's friend, nothing more."

 

Rebekah's suspicious glare falls on Josie. "Just a friend?"

 

Josie nods. "Totally! We're like, super bros." 

 

"And it took you guys a month to talk it out?"

 

Josie winces. "Kinda my fault. I didn't like how Hope got suspicious and jealous so-"

 

"Okay." Rebekah stops her. She gives both girls, and even Freya, a glare. "You should all stop lying right now. Spill the truth."

 

"I knew it was a bad idea to lie to her." Josie whispers to Hope. "I'm a terrible liar!"

 

"The worst liar, your voice is high-pitched and you look so guilty when you lie." Rebekah says before looking back at Freya. "I'm guessing you know the truth, since you're helping them to try and hide it. You sounded as worried as I was earlier, and you're not now. I want to know why."

 

"Josie got blackmailed into dumping me, okay? That's the truth." Hope says with a tired sigh. "Look, Freya can explain the rest. I want the enjoy the little time I have left with my girlfriend."

 

Hope stands up and extends a hand to help Josie up. The brunette takes it after looking one last time at Rebekah. The blonde woman looks shocked, but she doesn't say a word as they walk to the stairs.

 

Just as they're about to walk upstairs, Hope stops. "Please, just don't kill anyone, okay?"

 

"No promises." Rebekah says back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo... Did you like it :D?


	31. your loss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! 
> 
> I really hope you'll enjoy this one since it's the end of the whole Dana situation!
> 
> **IT'S ALSO THE END OF THE ANGST! TOTALLY OVER NOW, THE NEXT CHAPTERS ARE GONNA BE FILLED WITH FLUFF!!**

"So what you're telling me is, you got back with Josie and you're gonna tell Dana after school." Penelope asks quietly at their lunch table.

 

Hope has her mouth full with food, so she just nods before swallowing. "Yeah, Josie and Lizzie want to be here when I tell her."

 

"Why?"

 

Hope drinks from her water bottle before answering again. "Because they're the ones being blackmailed. Maybe Dana won't actually send the picture if Lizzie's there."

 

"But Dana hates Lizzie, why wouldn't she send it?" Penelope asks with a frown.

 

"Why are you asking so many questions? Josie and Lizzie both want to be here. I think they're bringing their parents too."

 

"Oh. Well, with their parents maybe she won't do it."

 

"We'll see I guess." Hope says with a shrug.

 

Penelope gives Hope a smile. "You must be happy."

 

Hope stops eating and smiles back. "The happiest. We had a date night on Saturday. It was just so great, not perfect because I had a little jealous moment,but it was great."

 

"Jealous moment?" Penelope's eyes are wide. "You're not a jealous person."

 

Hope gives Penelope a sheepish smile. "I know, but with your cousin Jed, it's kinda hard not to be. I mean, I know for a fact he flirted with Josie back when he didn't know we were a couple. He's handsome, sweet and smart. What's not to like?"

 

"Wait, Jed? I told him to stay away from Josie!"

 

Hope smiles, knowing full well Penelope didn't hesitate to threaten her cousin because of her.

 

"They're friends Pen, don't worry." Hope plays with the food in her plate. "Actually, I'm happy he was there when I couldn't be. Josie told me how lonely she felt during the break up, and how Jed helped her a lot." Penelope nods. "Do you wanna know something?"

 

"Yes!"

 

"Josie and I… I think we're gonna…" Hope clears her throat. "You know? I think we'll do it soon."

 

Penelope's eyes are wide with surprise. "No way! I thought you weren't ready to have sex."

 

"Can you be quiet? Jeez, I don't need the whole school to know that kind of things." Hope rolls her eyes. "I know I said that, but now I think I'm ready. We got closer and things got heated, and I didn't want it to stop."

 

"Oh my god! I can't believe it." Penelope's smile gets wide and wicked. "Feel free to tell me if you need some tips."

 

Hope scrunches her face in disgust. "Absolutely not. I prefer to embarrass myself with Josie than ask you about sex."

 

Penelope looks offended for a second, and then she shrugs. "Your loss."

 

*****

 

Hope quickly puts her books in her locker after her last period of the day. Josie texted her about ten minutes ago to tell her she was already waiting for her outside of the school. Hope feels nervous and a little scared about what's to come. 

 

"Hey Hope!"

 

The Mikaelson girl jumps when she hears her name being called, and it's so loud. Hope turns in the direction of the voice and gives a little smile when she sees Jed heading her way.

 

"Josie texted me about what you're all about to do." He whistles. "That's some courageous shit man. I was wondering if I can join. I know Penelope is gonna be there, and I thought I could be there too, you know, as Josie's bro and all. But if that's not something you want, it's cool."

 

Hope smiles. Jed is really a good guy. "You're welcome to join us. We'll need as much support as we can get."

 

Hope grabs her jacket from her locker before closing it. Then, they start walking together out of school.

 

"I wanna thank you for offering your friendship to Josie when she needed it. I really appreciate it."

 

Jed smiles. "It was my pleasure, really. It's a fine girl you got there Hope, never forget it."

 

Hope smiles and shakes her head. "She really is amazing, uh? Don't worry I won't forget it."

 

As soon as they step outside, Hope notices the people waiting for them. Josie and Lizzie came with their parents and MG. Freya, Keelin and Rebekah are there too. Finally, Penelope is there too. Normally, Hope would probably go to her family first, but she missed Josie so much during the past month that she goes straight to the brunette. She hugs Josie close and buries her face in her neck. 

 

"Hey you." Hope whispers.

 

"Hey." Josie says back before leaving a kiss on Hope's cheek as she pulls away.

 

Hope turns to her aunts. "You're all here."

 

"I promised not to murder the girl, but I couldn't let you deal with all of that without me." Rebekah says with a raised eyebrow.

 

"Same for us." Freya says with a smile, followed by a nod from Keelin.

 

Hope's smile reaches her eyes. "I love you guys." Then she turns to the Saltzmans. "It's good to see you all again."

 

"It's good to see you too Hope." Alaric says with his most genuine smile.

 

"I'm so happy to see you again Hope." Caroline says as she moves closer to give her a hug. 

 

Hope gives Josie a smile before pulling away and going to hug her girlfriend's mother.

 

"I couldn't believe it when Josie told us about the break up. You two are so in love, it made no sense." Caroline says as she breaks the hug.

 

Hope chuckles. "I had a hard time believing it too." Josie slaps Hope's arm. "Ow! I didn't give up though, isn't that worth something?" Josie rolls her eyes. Hope turns her attention to Lizzie. "I guess I owe you a thank you. I really appreciate what you're doing Lizzie."

 

Lizzie rolls her eyes but she can't fight her smile. "Yeah, whatever." Josie slaps Lizzie's arm. "Ow! Okay, okay I get it. I'm sorry for the black eye I gave you. I shouldn't have done that."

 

"You're totally forgiven."

 

"I don't mean to stop y'all, but here comes Dana!" Jed interrupts them. 

 

Josie reaches for Hope's hand and together they walk to Dana. The blonde girl smirks as she sees them walking hand in hand towards her. 

 

"I see you made a different choice Jo." Dana says as she glances at their joined hands. "You're stabbing your sister in the back."

 

"My sister knows exactly what's going on." Josie says, but she still holds Hope's hands more tightly.

 

"Aren't you ashamed of what you're doing?" Rebekah says as she walks closer.

 

"Ruining people's lives isn't funny." Caroline adds.

 

Dana rolls her eyes. "Why should I care?"

 

Lizzie is about to add something, but a voice quickly cuts her off.

 

"What is going on here?"

 

All eyes fall on the newcomer. Hope quickly realizes the blonde woman is actually Dana's mother, and when she looks back at her team mate, something tells Hope Dana isn't all happy to see her mom. 

 

"Are you Dana's mother?" Hope asks.

 

"Yes, Vera Lilien." The woman says as she stands next to her daughter. "I'm gonna repeat myself : what is going on here?"

 

"Mom-" Dana starts.

 

Hope quickly cuts her off. "Did you know your daughter uses your job as a pharmacist to gain information about people?"

 

Vera is taken aback and her eyes widen. "What? What are you talking about?"

 

Josie decides to speak up. "Dana took a picture of my sister Lizzie's pill bottle, and now she's using it to blackmail us."

 

Vera scoffs. "You can't be serious, my Dana wouldn't do that kind of thing."

 

"Look through her phone!"

 

Vera purses her lips, but she still turns to her daughter. "Give me your phone."

 

"What?!" Dana's mouth drops in shock. "Mom!"

 

"Dana, give me your phone now."

 

Dana looks like she's about to argue, but one more glare from her mother and she's handing her phone. It takes Vera about thirty seconds before her eyes seem to bulge out of her skull.

 

"Dana Lilien!" Vera gasps. "Do you know how much trouble this simple picture could cause to our family? I could lose my job, and the right to practice! Medical information is strictly confidential, it's protected by law."

 

"I-I didn't know!" Dana tries to defend herself.

 

"And using it to blackmail some poor girls? How can you be so… so cruel? This isn't a joke Dana, mental illness is a serious issue." Vera takes a deep breath. "You're grounded until further notice. Now, go wait for me in the car."

 

"Yes mom." Dana says before she starts walking to her mother's car.

 

"Wait, come back here for a second." Dana walks back to them. "Apologize to those girls, and you better sound sincere."

 

"What? No way!"

 

"You could stay grounded until college, and I could take away your allowance until then too."

 

Dana opens her mouth to argue, but she decides not to. She swallows her pride and then turns to look at the Saltzmans and the Mikaelsons.

 

"I'm sorry for blackmailing you." 

 

"You can do better than that." Vera insists.

 

Dana looks back at her mother, and then back to Hope and Josie. "I apologize for what I forced Josie to do, and I'm sorry it caused you both to suffer." Dana looks at Lizzie. "I'm really sorry I threatened to tell everyone that you're mentally ill."

 

"You can go now." Vera says.

 

Dana walks away, and Vera looks back to the two families her daughter threatened.

 

"For what it's worth, I really am sorry for the way my daughter acted." She starts. "I know I probably have no right to ask this, but please don't contact the authorities."

 

"We won't." Josie says. "All we want is peace, and for that picture to be deleted."

 

"Of course, I already deleted the picture, and Dana won't have her phone back for a couple of months, believe me." Vera sighs. "And she won't be allowed in the pharmacy anymore. This situation will never happen again, you have my word."

 

"Thank you Mrs. Lilien, we appreciate the way you handled the situation." Alaric says with a smile.

 

"If Dana ever does something again, don't hesitate to contact me." Vera says with a smile.

 

"Of course, thank you." Caroline says.

 

As soon as Vera is in her car and too far to hear them, Rebekah decides to speak.

 

"Well, I won't have to kill the girl, I think her mother will do it herself."

 

Everyone lets out a good hearted laugh. Hope tugs on Josie's hand until the brunette gets the message and pulls Hope in a tight hug.

 

"I actually wanted a kiss." Hope says with a smile near Josie's ear.

 

"Oh, that can be arranged." Josie says before pulling away just enough to kiss Hope.

 

Josie's lips rest on Hope's for a couple of seconds before the Saltzman girl pulls away. Hope almost whines that it was too short, but then she notices every eyes on them. Then she feels the blush on her cheeks and quickly hides it in Josie's neck, making her girlfriend giggle.

 

"They're adorable." Caroline says.

 

"Aren't they?" Keelin replies.

 

"They totally are." Penelope agrees.

 

"How about we celebrate?" Rebekah suggests. "Let's all have dinner at our house tonight."

 

"Oh, you mean our house, as in Keelin, Hope, and I's house?" Freya asks with a raised eyebrow.

 

Rebekah rolls her eyes. "It used to be Klaus and Hayley's, and now it's totally the family house, deal with it."

 

Hearing her parents' names being thrown in a conversation just like that makes Hope pause. For a second, she looks for the pang of sadness and anger, but it doesn't come. Was she getting to the point where it wouldn't hurt to hear their names? Was she so happy that this kind of hurt didn't get to her anymore?

 

"Hey, you okay?" Josie asks as she softly carress Hope's cheek with her thumb. "You spaced out for a minute."

 

"Yes, yeah I'm good." Hope rushes out. "I'm just… really happy."

 

Josie smiles and quickly pecks Hope's lips. "I'm really happy too."

 

"So, we're all having dinner at my place?"

 

"It would seem so, yes. How does that sound to you?"

 

"It sounds perfect."

 

*****

 

It's been two hours since everyone left their house and Hope is finally in bed. She feels drained from everything that happened that day. The emotions were all way too much for her. She quickly leaves herself a note in her phone to take an appointment with Emma, she clearly needed it. She's about to close her phone and put it away, when she receives a message from Josie. Hope smiles when she sees it's the link to a song. She quickly opens the link and closes her eyes to listen to the music. 

 

_I never thought I needed saving, I was right where I should be_

_Good god, I know it's dangerous, but it's you that I need_

_I'm in love this time, I'm in love this time_

_What have I done?_

 

Hope's smile only widens with each sentence. How could Josie always find the perfect songs for them? As soon as the song is done, Hope quickly decides to facetime her girlfriend. It rings twice before Josie answers. Hope's smile softens when she sees Josie's in a robe with her hair wet, clearly fresh out of the shower.

 

"Hey beautiful." Hope greets and smiles when it gets a cute giggle out of Josie.

 

"Hey you." Josie replies with her softest smile. "Did you like the song?"

 

"It's beautiful, just like you."

 

Josie avoids Hope's eyes, and even though the quality of the video doesn't allow her to see it, Hope knows Josie is blushing.

 

"Stop being so…"

 

"So?"

 

"Smooth." Hope laughs, and it makes Josie smile again. "What a day, right?"

 

Hope sighs. "Yeah. It was emotionnally charged."

 

"Yeah."

 

"Let's put that in the past, right?" Hope smiles brightly. "Now we can focus on ourselves and on our relationship, and… I have the perfect way to do just that."

 

"Oh you do?"

 

"Yeah, remember those tickets I bought for the "Of Monsters and Men" concert? It's next week!"

 

Josie's eyes widen. "I totally forgot about that!"

 

Hope chuckles. "I did too for a moment, but it is indeed next week. So, are you excited?"

 

Josie nods her head vigorously. "Of course I am!"

 

"Good." Hope's phone notifies her that she only has 10% of battery left, and she notices how late it is. "Oh shit, we should both go to sleep, it's late."

 

Josie's smile falters for a second, only to come back again. "Oh, you're right. I guess, we should say goodnight."

 

"Not that I want to my love, but there's school tomorrow." Hope replies with a pout.

 

"Hope?"

 

"Yes?"

 

"You just called me 'my love', but you didn't tell me you loved me today."

 

Hope giggles and shakes her head. "Of course I love you. I love you so much Josie Saltzman."

 

Josie's smile gets brighter. "Good, because I love you quite a lot too."

 

Hope's smile is wide, showing teeth and crinkles near her eyes. "Goodnight Josie, I love you."

 

Josie blows Hope a kiss. "Goodnight Hope, I love you too."

 

With one last smile, Hope presses the red button to shut the conversation. She sighs, closes  her nightstand light and lies on her bed again. Hope opens her phone again and opens the song Josie sent her earlier, it wouldn't hurt to hear it one last time before falling asleep. Maybe it would even fill her dreams with Josie's beautiful smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo, was it good enough? I know some of you were probably expecting Dana to get played or something, but I just feel like it's not like Hope and Josie to hurt someone like that. 
> 
> I hope it wasn't disappointing or anything!
> 
> The song is called "What have I done" and it's by Dermot Kennedy!
> 
> It's almost over guys... One more chapter 😁


	32. this night needs to be perfect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone !!
> 
> So this is the last chapter. Please, enjoy it 
> 
> There's smut in there. I'll write it when it comes so if you wanna skip it, you can.

Hope quickly looks herself in the mirror of her car before stepping out. Her hair looks great, her make up is on point and her clothes are… okay. She let Penelope chose them and she's still not sure if she likes the look her best friend chose. She doesn't quite feel like herself with the jacket Penelope made her borrow. Hope gets out of her car and quickly opens the backseat door. There, she finds her leather jacket. Hope quickly takes Penelope's pink jacket off and puts her black leather jacket on. Now, she feels much better. 

 

Hope walks to Josie's house and quickly knocks on the door. Caroline is the one to open the door.

 

"Hope! Oh sweet heart, you look so beautiful."

 

Hope can't help the flattered smile that plays on her lips. "Good evening Caroline. Thank you so much."

 

"Come on in! Josie's not quite ready yet."

 

Hope steps into the house and quietly follows Caroline to the living room.

 

"Should I go up or-"

 

"Absolutely not!" Caroline quickly says. "Lizzie might kill you if you do that. She told me to keep you downstairs if you came before she was done."

 

Hope gives out a little laugh. "Sounds like Lizzie."

 

"So, I've heard you planned quite the night for Josie." Caroline says with a soft smile.

 

Before Hope can reply, Alaric walks into the room.

 

He smiles. "Oh, Hope, it's good to see you."

 

"It's good to see you too Alaric." Hope replies with a genuine smile.

 

"Okay, now I need details about the date." Caroline cuts them off.

 

Hope chuckles, but a light blush covers her cheeks. "I got us a table at a very fancy restaurant. Then, we're gonna go to the concert and hopefully have a lot of fun. When it's gonna be done, I'll drive us back to my house and we'll spend the night together. Thank you for allowing Josie to sleep over at my place."

 

"Of course. The date sounds wonderful Hope." Caroline says.

 

"Your aunts are gonna be home tonight, right?" Alaric asks.

 

Hope's attention quickly goes to Josie's father. She knows where his mind went, and honestly she can't blame him. She thought about it too. 

 

"Uh, no they won't be there. Keelin and Freya are both staying over at my uncle Kol's house in Canada for the week end." Alaric frowns, so Hope quickly tries to defend herself. "I told Caroline they wouldn't be there when I asked if Josie could stay the night. It's okay if you don't want her to, though. I'd understand."

 

"No, it's okay, we talked about it. Right Rick?" Caroline says with a soft glare.

 

He looks at her with wide eyes. "You never said they'd be unsupervised!"

 

"Alaric! They're both responsible teenagers. They deserve our trust. Plus, it's not like Hope could get Josie pregnant. And even if she could, I'd trust them to protect themselves."

 

Hope is mortified as she hears Caroline's words. Josie's parents totally thought they were gonna have sex tonight. Hell, she wasn't even sure they'd be having sex tonight! 

 

"Uh, I-I don't t-think-" Hope blurts out.

 

"Oh my god, why is Hope a babbling mess?"

 

Hope quickly turns around to see her girlfriend walking in the living room. If her blush wasn't that bad before, it's really bad now. Josie is wearing a white long sleeved blouse with a collar. There's a cute little ribbon that serves as some kind of bow-tie, and it looks way too cute on Josie. 

 

"I think mom and dad broke your girlfriend. Or maybe it's you." Lizzie says before giving Hope her attention. "Stop drooling at my sister Mikaelson!"

 

That's when Hope realizes her mouth is hanging open. She quickly closes it and tries to compose herself. This night was gonna one hell of a ride.

 

"Y-you're beautiful Josie." Hope manages to say. "I-I uh brought you flowers, but I forgot them in my car and I'm completely ruining everything. Oh my god, I'm the worst girlfr-"

 

As Hope rambles, Josie quickly walks over to her. As soon as she's close enough, Josie gently places a finger on Hope's lips, effectively silencing her.

 

"Hi Hope, you're beautiful too." Josie says with a gentle tone of voice. "You ruined absolutely nothing by the way."

 

"I-I could go get the flowers, would you like that?" Hope asks. "They're beautiful and I wouldn't want them to just stay in my car. Plus, I brought them for you and I don't want you to think I didn't bring you anything for our date, and-"

 

Josie giggles and leans in to peck Hope's lips, silencing her one more time.

 

"Go get them, I'll wait for you here." 

 

Hope turns around to leave, only to turn again to face Josie. "Jo… when I come back, can we act like we didn't see each other yet?"

 

Josie giggles. "Sure, if that makes you happy."

 

Hope smiles and then she's walking out of the living room. Josie smiles fondly as her girlfriend gets out of the house.

 

"She's so corny." Lizzie says.

 

Josie quickly turns around to glare at her sister. "She's adorable, and romantic."

 

Lizzie smirks. "You're so whipped."

 

"You're just jealous!"

 

Lizzie rolls her eyes and opens her mouth to say something, but Alaric beats her to it.

 

"Enough, girls."

 

The twins stop talking, but not glaring at each other. Caroline walks to Josie and pulls her in a side hug.

 

"Hope planned a wonderful night."

 

Josie can't help but let a goofy smile play on her lips. "Yeah, she did."

 

"Listen to me sweetie. I know Hope would never pressure you to do something you don't wanna do, but just in case : you have every right to say no. Always keep that in mind, okay?" Caroline says while looking Josie in the eyes with the most loving gaze Josie's ever seen.

 

"Yes mom." There's a knock on the front door. "Must be Hope."

 

Josie pulls away from her mother and quickly walks to the front door. As soon as Josie opens the door, she sees that Hope's face is completely hidden by a big flower bouquet. 

 

Josie giggles. "Is my girlfriend hidden behind those beautiful flowers?"

 

Hope moves the flowers so Josie can see her face. The Mikaelson girl has a sheepish smile on.

 

"Hi Josie."

 

"Hi Hope."

 

Hope steps into the house as Josie moves to the side to let her in. The brunette reaches for the flowers that Hope hands her. She puts them on the little table in the hallway. As soon as neither of them are holding anything, they move in for a kiss. Hope sighs when their lips touch. She'll never get enough of this feeling. The butterflies in her stomach, the tingling in her lips and the way her heart just feels so full of love. 

 

Josie slowly pulls away. "Shouldn't we go?"

 

"Yeah, there's a long ride between us and the concert." Hope answers with a little smile.

 

"Okay. Let's say goodbye."

 

Josie reaches for Hope's hand, and holds it all the way to the living room. Alaric, Caroline and Lizzie are still standing in the middle of the living room when Hope and Josie walk in. 

 

"So, we're gonna go now." Josie says with a smile.

 

"Of course." Caroline says, beaming. "Have a good night, and be safe on the road."

 

"Be safe, every minute of the night." Alaric says with a frown.

 

Josie rolls her eyes. "Everything's gonna be fine dad."

 

The man nods but he still looks worried. Lizzie walks closer to Josie and hands her a backpack.

 

"Your things for the night." 

 

Josie takes the bag. "Thanks Liz."

 

Lizzie smiles, but she doesn't say anything.

 

"Good night everyone." Hope says with a smile as she's being dragged out by Josie. 

 

"Good night!" The Saltzmans say.

 

Hope allows Josie to drag her out of the house, but as soon as they are outside, the auburn haired girl takes the lead. She walks straight to her car, and opens the passenger door to let Josie in. The brunette smiles in thanks, pecks Hope's lips and then she gets in. Hope closes the door, and then she walks to the driver's side. She hops in the car, and quickly buckle her seat belt.

 

"Your parents totally think we're gonna have sex tonight." Hope says with a smirk.

 

Josie's  cheeks take a light shade of pink. "Oh my god." Hope laughs and starts the engine. "What did you tell them?"

 

"Well, my girlfriend came in at that moment and practically saved my life." 

 

It's Josie's turn to laugh. "So that's why you looked so embarrassed when I walked in!"

 

Hope starts driving, but glances quickly at Josie. "Can you blame me?"

 

"This is hilarious!"

 

Hope huffs. "Keep laughing, and I'm driving you back home."

 

"Aw, babe, you wouldn't do that."

 

Hope smiles a little, and glances at Josie once more. "No, no I wouldn't do that."

 

"Oh! I have a song I want you to listen to. You know that songs are often linked to how I feel, right?" Hope nods. "Please listen to the lyrics, okay?"

 

Hope nods again, but this time she shoots a smile at Josie too. The older girl patiently waits for Josie to start the song, and when it starts it doesn't take long for Hope to realize she's heard this artist before. Josie made her listen to him once. Hope listens carefully, while putting most of her focus on the road. After a couple of lines, Josie reaches for her hand and gently intertwines their fingers together. It's the second verse that really gets to Hope.

 

_ So I've learned to love the riddle _

_ 'Cause I find out what you need _

_ When your mind's a mess you hide in bed _

_ I'll hide there with you _

_ 'Till I solve the mystery. _

 

Hope waits for the song to end before voicing her thoughts.

 

"Do you really think that?" 

 

"I-I do."

 

"Meant to be, uh?" Hope says with a warm smile.

 

"Too much?" Josie asks clearly nervous to hear the answer.

 

"No." Hope glances at Josie. "I love you, and I love to hear how you feel about me." 

 

"I love you, and I love learning to solve the mystery that is Hope Mikaelson."

 

Hope snickers. "I'm basically an open book to you."

 

"Not really. I think there's still a lot for me to discover, but I'm willing to work and find everything out."

 

Hope tightens her hold on the steering wheel. "If you wanna know something, all you have to do is ask. I don't want you to think I wanna hide anything from you."

 

"Hope, don't feel like you owe me every little detail about yourself. People still learn things about each other years after they start dating, that's normal." Josie squeezes Hope's hand. "I didn't want to pressure you or anything."

 

"It's okay, I'm sorry." Hope says after letting out a loud sigh. "I'm just a little stressed out."

 

"Why?"

 

"I want tonight to be perfect."

 

Josie leans her head on the head rest and smiles softly as she watches Hope drive. "It already is. Just be yourself, and don't stress about it. I love the Hope I get everyday, I don't want you to be someone else."

 

"Okay." Hope nods, and squeezes Josie's hand to let her know she understands.

 

*

 

Josie's eyes widen as Hope drives them in front of the doors of what looks like a very fancy restaurant.

 

"Hope…"

 

The auburn haired girl smirks and stops the car. A valet quickly walks to the driver's door of the car, so Hope gets out. 

 

"Stay in the car, I'll open your door, okay?" Hope says before closing her door and Josie nods.

 

Hope turns around when the door is closed, and she faces the valet.

 

"Good evening M'am, may I park your car?"

 

"Good evening sir, yes thank you." Hope hands him her car keys.

 

Then the Mikaelson girl walks to the passenger side of the car and opens the door for Josie. She extends her hand to help Josie get out of the car, and Josie takes it with a smile. 

 

"Hope, I feel like we're not properly dressed to be here."

 

"Please don't worry about that."

 

Josie smiles, but there's still worry clouding her features. Hope smiles back, knowing full well her girlfriend would soon feel more at ease. Hand in hand, they walk through the door of the restaurant. They go straight to the front desk where a black haired woman is already smiling at them. 

 

"Good evening ladies. To which name is the reservation?"

 

"Goog evening, to Hope Mikaelson."

 

The woman types Hope's name in her computer, quickly finding the reservation. She looks up at them again with a radiant smile.

 

"Miss Mikaelson, your table is ready. May I lead you to the Rooftop?"

 

"Yes, please." Hope says, smiling back.

 

The woman move around the counter. "Follow me ladies."

 

Josie gently grabs Hope's arm to stop her from following the woman.

 

"The roof?"

 

"Trust me, you don't wanna miss that." Hope says with a smile.

 

Josie smiles back and allows Hope to guide her to the roof. The woman is waiting for them by a see-through elevator. As it goes up, Josie's eyes widen. On one side she has the view of the city slowly becoming smaller, and on the other of the fanciest restaurant she's ever stepped in. She doesn't know which way to look.

 

"Choose one side, and look at the other when we'll go back down later." Hope whispers in her ear. 

 

Josie can feel a light blush cover her cheeks as she gives a sheepish smile to Hope. She settles on looking outside whil the sun is still illuminating the city. It all feels a little unreal to see the big buildings getting smaller and smaller as they're going up. Josie's almost disappointed when the elevator stops, but the view she gets when she turns around is enough to make her forget it. She'd get to look at the city for a long time. The rooftop of the building is actually a little closed space, but only by glasses, allowing people to look at all the city from this beautiful perspective. There's only one table in the room, and clearly it was theirs. On the right side of the room, there's some kind of bar, but apart from that the room is empty.

 

"Here is your table ladies. I hope you'll enjoy your stay at the Rooftop. Edward should be here shortly to take your orders and serve your drinks."

 

"Thank you." Hope says.

 

"Yes, thank you." Josie echoes her. As soon as the woman is gone, Josie's attention goes to Hope. "Hope! What is this?"

 

"I told you I'd take you somewhere fancier than McDonalds when we went to the old deck for the first time, didn't I?"

 

Josie softens. "You didn't have to do this."

 

"I love this place, and we were in town anyway. This night needs to be perfect." Hope frowns, but she reaches for Josie's hands and slowly pulls her closer. "If you're not comfortable we can leave, but I promise you a wonderful night if we stay. I made all the arrangements. We can even slow dance before we get our food. They know we're on a deadline, so we're sure to finish our meals before the start of the concert."

 

Josie looks Hope right in the eyes, and suddenly she understands that this night means a lot to Hope. Somehow, it makes Josie feel a little nervous, because suddenly she wants everything to be perfect too. 

 

"It all sounds really wonderful Hope. Thank you so much for all of this." Josie says before leaning in and putting her lips on Hope's

 

Josie feels her girlfriend smile into the kiss, and it makes her smile too. Soon, they're breaking the kiss to lean their foreheads on each other, smiling brightly. They only break apart when they hear someone get out of the elevator.

 

"Hello ladies, I'm very sorry for the interruption." A tall man with blond hair says with a smile. "My name is Edward, and I'll be your waiter tonight."

 

Soon after the introductions, Edward serves them glasses of water and puts music on. He sets the menu on the table, and tell them they should order soon to be sure to leave on time. So the girls quickly looks through the menu and set on two different meals. The waiter quickly take notes and leaves them to give it to the kitchen, telling them he'd be back shortly. Hope is soon back on her feet, and extending her hand to Josie. The brunette quickly takes it, and willingly follows Hope to the center of the room.

 

"I made the playlist myself, you know." Hope says as she pulls Josie closer. 

 

"Really?"

 

"Yes. It was really important to me actually. I put a very special song in there, and it's really important to me that you listen carefully, okay?" Josie nods. "You always tell me how you feel with songs, and now it's my turn. If I'm right, it should start… now."

 

The song progressively changes and Josie's surprised when she recognizes neither the song or the band. Just as Hope requested, the brunette listens carefully to the words. The older girl's hands are resting on Josie's hips, holding her close as they slow dance in the middle of the room. By the time the second verse hits, Josie rests her head on Hope's shoulder. The auburn haired girl soon feels some wetness where Josie's face rests and she quickly gets worried.

 

"Josie, is something wrong?" Hope quickly rushes out.

 

Josie shakes her head. "No, nothing's wrong. Let's finish the song, okay?"

 

Hope takes a deep breath and nods, but she still tightens her hold on Josie, just to be sure she's okay. 

 

_ Why'd you have to go and make me fall, fall so hard for you? _

_ Oh baby for you _

 

When the final note sounds, Josie pulls away from Hope until they can properly look at each other. The Mikaelson girl is relieved to see Josie smiling, even though there's still tears falling down her cheeks.

 

Hope gives her girlfriend an awkward smile. "Happy tears?"

 

"Definitely." Josie says through a little laugh. 

 

"Did you like it?"

 

Josie nods. "It's so beautiful."

 

Hope smiles and nods. "Can I kiss you?"

 

Instead of replying, Josie leans in and captures Hope's lips in a gentle kiss. Their lips are caught in a dance they've experienced before, but that still feels brand new. Hope's grip on Josie's hips tightens a little, and the brunette's hands disappear in auburn locks. The little "ding" of the elevator sounds in the room, and Josie takes a step back. Hope wants to groan and tell Edward to just fuck off, but the way her girlfriend's cheeks darkened makes Hope think that maybe it's not the best idea. 

 

"Sorry to interrupt again, please don't mind me." Says the man as he awkwardly moves to the little bar.

 

"It's okay, really." Josie quickly says. 

 

"Let's sit down again, okay?" Hope suggests to Josie. 

 

The brunette gives her girlfriend a grateful smile and then follows her back to their table. They talk for a while, listen to the music and look at the view. Soon after that, Edward is called downstairs to pick up their meals, leaving them alone again. Josie reaches for Hope's hand over the table and gently plays with her fingers.

 

"I feel like this night will be the most beautiful night of my life." Josie says as she looks Hope right in the eyes. 

 

Hope smiles. "Same here."

 

Josie takes a deep breath. "Whatever happens to us, I know I'll always remember this night with love in my heart."

 

Hope's smile fades a little as Josie's words sink in. "W-what do you mean?"

 

Josie's smile is sad now. "We'll be apart next year. You'll go to college, or maybe even travel for a year, you said so yourself. Lots of things could happen during that year. You'll meet new people-"

 

"Please stop." Hope blurts out. "I don't want us to have this conversation tonight. It's supposed to be perfect."

 

Josie's smile gets a little less sad. "Of course, sorry I didn't mean to ruin anything."

 

Hope closes her eyes and shakes her head. "You're not ruining anything. I just… need to not think about us being apart again."

 

"Okay. Forget I said anything." Josie squeezes her girlfriend's hand. "I love you."

 

The Mikaelson girl opens her eyes. "I love you too, so much."

 

This time, when the sound of the elevator comes, both girls smile as Edward makes his way to them with their plates. They hold hands as they eat and exchange loving smiles here and there. When they're done, Edward inform them they should hurry if they don't wanna be late. Hope quickly pays the bill, and then they go back to the elevator.

 

"Thank you so much for tonight." Josie says as she cuddles Hope's side in the elevator.

 

Hope chuckles. "You already said that, but it's a real pleasure to treat you."

 

This time, as they go down, Josie looks at the luxurious restaurant. She smiles softly at the view of people dressed so fancy. When they walk out of the restaurant, the valet is waiting by Hope's car, handing her the keys. 

 

"Thank you so much." Hope says as she takes her keys and hands the man some money.

 

"Thank you Miss, and have a good night."

 

Hope opens the door for Josie and the brunette quickly steps into the car. The Mikaelson girl then walks to the drivers side to take her place. The drive to where the concert takes place isn't long, and soon enough Hope has to park the car. Thankfully, she quickly finds a parking spot. They both get out of the car and walk hand in hand to building. They have to wait in line for a little less than ten minutes before they have to hand their tickets and can finally get inside. The place is big and there's already a lot of people in there. Josie pulls Hope to the merch table and soon enough, they've bought matching shirts. They're walking together to the stage when a voice stops them.

 

"Josie? Josie Saltzman! I can't believe you're here."

 

Josie turns around, and Hope gets a little jealous of the smile this stranger manages to get out of her girlfriend.

 

"Jade! It's so great to see you again." Josie says as she moves closer to the girl and hug her. Hope stays a little behind, and when Josie and Jade pull apart, the dark blonde girl's eyes fall on Hope.

 

"Who's that?"

 

Josie quickly turns around, and when her eyes fall on Hope, they soften. "That's Hope, she's my girlfriend." Josie says as she looks back to Jade.

 

"A girlfriend? Really? That's so nice Jo's!" Jade says with a beaming smile. "I can't believe it. The first time we met you confided into me about your sexuality, and now you have a girlfriend." Jade looks at Hope, and extends a hand that Hope wastes no time to shake. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

 

Hope smiles. "Pleasure's mine."

 

"I met Jade at last year's concert, we became fast friends but then the concert ended." Josie explains. 

 

"We never exchanged numbers. We totally should now." Jade says back.

 

Hope tightens her jaw and forces a smile. Now was not the time to be jealous, and Josie was totally allowed to have friends. Even if those friends were as beautiful and flirty as Jade. So she silently watches as Josie saves Jade's number in her phone.

 

"You should join me and my friends at the front! We'll have such a good time."

 

"Sure! Right Hope?" Josie says with a beaming smile.

 

"Sounds great." Hope replies with her best fake smile.

 

Hope follows as Josie practically drags her to follow Jade. As soon as they're at the front, Jade introduces them to her friends Wendy and Diego. Hope has to admit that they're all very nice, so she tries to just relax and have fun.

 

"What happened to that girl you had a crush on? Nicole, or was it Nora?" Jade asks Josie.

 

Josie squeezes Hope's hand, knowing full well this would be a sore subject.

 

"Nia. We dated, but she broke my heart." Josie says simply. 

 

"Aw, Jo, I'm so sorry!" 

 

Jade pulls Josie in a hug, and Hope is surprised when the jealousy doesn't come this time. Jade seems like she really cares about Josie. How could Hope be mad at that? The girl was actually nice.

 

"Okay, let's push the sad stories aside." Jade wiggles her eyebrows. "How did you two happen?"

 

Josie looks at Hope with a sheepish smile. "Wanna tell her?"

 

Hope shrugs. "We were fake-dating and then we fell in love."

 

Jade's attention goes from Hope to Josie and back to Hope. "Okay, I'm gonna need details."

 

Hope blushes and looks away so Josie starts talking. "We met on an app called "The Stand-In", at first we were only supposed to go on one fake date to show Hope's ex-boyfriend that she was moving on, but then… Something came up and we decided we had to fake date instead. A couple of months later and now we're here. Officially girlfriends and fully in love."

 

"You have the most complicated love story. Why didn't you just date from the start?"

 

"Hope was straight." Josie says with a shrug.

 

Hope feels her cheeks getting darker by the second. "Can we please stop talking about that? It's so very embarrassing."

 

Josie turns to Hope with wide eyes. "I didn't mean to embarrass you babe! I'm so sorry."

 

"At least you got the girl!" Jade says with a wink.

 

Hope smirks. "Yeah, I did."

 

The lights fade, the music stops and then everyone is screaming. The band comes on stage and the concert starts. Pretty early on, Josie reaches for Hope's hands and pulls them around her waist. This way, Hope is hugging Josie from behind, and she has to admit it's the nicest feeling in the world. Feeling her girlfriend being excited, yet totally relaxed in her arms is amazing. When a song starts in the middle of the set, Hope sees the goosebumps on Josie's arms and it makes her curious. Gently, Hope pushes Josie's hair to the right side of her neck, giving herself access to the skin of Josie's neck. Hope leans her head near Josie's neck, her warm breath makes Josie's breath stop for a second. The Mikaelson girl takes this as a sign to keep going, so she softly presses her lips to the skin. She leaves one kiss, then another. Hope's hands are back on Josie's hips, and soon the brunette's hands cover hers. Josie squeezes Hope's hands, and closes her eyes, abandoning herself to the sound of the music and the feeling of Hope's lips on her neck. When the song ends, another one starts, this one with a faster beat. Hope moves away a little, and Josie opens her eyes. The brunette turns her head to look at her girlfriend, and she's greeted by a loving smile.

 

"I love you." Hope says loud enough for Josie to hear.

 

"I love you too." Josie replies with a smile that mirrors Hope's.

 

Josie looks back to the stage, and Hope does too, but not without catching Jade looking at them. The dark haired blonde is smiling at them, and when she sees Hope looking at her, Jade does a thumb up. Hope chuckles lightly and shakes her head. She receives a curious look from Josie, but it soon gone when Hope pecks her cheek. 

 

Way too soon, the concert ends. They take their time to get out of the building, but when they're out, it's time to say goodbye to their companions. This time, there's no jealousy at all when Hope sees Josie hug Jade. The auburn haired girl even hugs the girl too. They part ways and the couple quickly walks back to Hope's car. The night has gotten colder, and it shows. When they're both in the car, they reach for the heat at the same time. This time when their hands meet, they don't blush and look away. Hope smiles and playfully pushes Josie's hand away. She puts the heat on high, and then they're on their way. Unsurprisingly, Josie reaches for Hope's hand not too long into the ride. Neither of them really pay attention to what plays on the radio, both too lost inside their heads to care. It's only when Hope parks the car in her driveway that they seem to snap out of their thoughts. Hope stops the engine, and then looks at Josie. The brunette turns and gives Hope a smile.

 

"Let's go inside, okay?" Hope softly says.

 

"Yeah."

 

"I'll grab your bag from the backseat." Hope says as she gets out.

 

Josie quickly follows her out. "Hope! I can carry my bag myself." 

 

"Oh, I know." Hope says with a big smile. "I'm just happy to do it for you."

 

Josie smiles back and shakes her head. They walk inside the house and Josie's surprised by the quietness of the place. No one is there, there's no TV on. 

 

"I-I wanna show you something."

 

They walk upstairs hand in hand, with Hope carrying Josie's back pack with her other hand. The Mikaelson girl stops them before going inside her bedroom.

 

"I did something, but… I don't want you to feel pressured to do anything or to feel like you owe me something for tonight. Like I said before, I just wanted this night to be perfect."

 

Josie smiles and nods, and then Hope opens the door. Josie's eyes widen and her mouth drops when she sees Hope's bed. Her girlfriend took rose petals to form a heart on the bed, and wrote the words "I love you" with them too. 

 

"Do you like it? Is it too much? I was trying to do something romantic. Your sister said you liked romantic things like that."

 

"Oh, Hope… I love it. No one ever did something like that for me."

 

Hope gives her girlfriend a grin. "Good, I'm happy you like it." Josie smiles back, but then she hesitates before asking the question that's burning to come out. "Hey, whatever you have to say, just say it."

 

"It's just… Everything you've done tonight, and now this… I feel like maybe you are trying to tell me something."

 

Hope blushes and looks down. She tries to compose herself, and then she looks up. Josie is looking at her with her warm brown eyes and her softess smile. 

 

Hope clears her throat. "I guess I am. I'd like to… make love with you."

 

"Is that a statement, or a question?" Josie says with a teasing smile.

 

"A statement, definitely." Hope says before scratching the back of her head sheepishly. "Do you… wanna, you know?"

 

Josie giggles, and then she walks until she can pull Hope in a tight embrace. "Of course, I do."

 

Hope rests her head on Josie's shoulder. "Good. Like… tonight?"

 

"Sure." Josie says.

 

The brunette lowers her hands from the middle of Hope's back to her hips, and then she pushes her a little farther. Hope lifts her head from Josie's shoulder when she feels her girlfriend pushing her away.

 

"Don't frown. I just want to look you in the eyes while I tell you something very important." 

 

"Okay." Hope nods.

 

"I want to talk about consent, okay?" Hope nods. "It's very important to me that you understand that we can stop at any moment. Even when it already started. If you ever feel uncomfortable, you need to tell me. If something I do is not pleasurable to you, you need to tell me. You first time… it has to be a beautiful experience. I don't ever want you to regret tonight, not like I regret the first time I gave my everything to someone. Okay?"

 

"Uh, yeah. I understand." Hope nods. "Can I ask you a question?" Josie nods. "Does it really hurt?"

 

"I can't tell you that it won't hurt, but it didn't hurt me the first time. Nia was very gentle, and I'm grateful for that. I'll do everything not to hurt you, but everyone's different. There'd be more chance of you hurting if I was a guy."

 

"Okay." Hope takes a deep breath. "Can we put music on? I feel like I'd be less stressed with music on."

 

Josie frowns. "We can, but if you're too stressed out, we don't have to-"

 

"No! I want to, I'm just… stressed. I wanna be good enough for you. I said it many times tonight, I want it to be perfect."

 

"It will be, if you respect your own limits."

 

Hope smiles and nods, then she moves to her speaker, leaving Josie in the middle of the room. It doesn't take her long to choose a playlist, she made a special one for this occasion. 

 

"Ed Sheeran, really? That's kinda cliché." Josie says with a fond smile.

 

"His songs are romantic and it makes me in the mood for… you know. Don't be a hater."

*** STOP HERE IF YOU DON'T LIKE SMUT ***

Hope walks back to Josie, and without an ounce of hesitation, she pulls Josie in for a passionate kiss. One of Hope's hand is on Josie's neck, as the other find its way on Josie's waist and bring the brunette closer. Josie lets herself be pulled into the kiss. Her hands go to Hope's arm and her fingers tightens around them. Soon enough, Hope gently asks for entrance in Josie's mouth with her tongue. Josie is quick to open her mouth to let Hope deepen the kiss. This confident side of Hope was such a turn on. As much as the brunette likes being in control, she loves letting the control to someone else too. Hope gently leads them to the bed, and when they sit down on it, the heart is disperssed on the bed. Josie almost feels bad about it, but then Hope's hand is sliding under her shirt and it feels like she can't think anymore. Suddenly, the only thing she can do is kiss and touch her girlfriend. Josie kisses Hope back with more fierceness than before and her hands start to wander. Hope quickly pulls back and Josie's eyes widen.

 

"Did I do something wro-"

 

"No! I just- I think I need you to take control now."

 

Josie sighs in relief and smiles. "Oh, okay. I can do that."

 

Then she dives right back in and kisses Hope. She feels Hope being a lot more hesitant than before, so Josie does what was asked of her. She pulls away but just enough to be able to talk.

 

"Can I take your shirt off?"

 

Hope swallows and nods. Josie takes the hem of Hope's shirt in her hands, looks one last time at Hope, and when she gets a nod and a smile, Josie pulls the shirt above Hope's head. When the shirt is in her hands, Josie tosses it to the side. The brunette kisses Hope again, just to pull away and look at the upper body of her girlfriend. Hope's bra is pink, and somehow Josie knows that Penelope must have chosen it. A pink bra sounds nothing like Hope, but it looks way too cute on her. Josie swallows hard when she sees Hope's covered breasts, and then her eyes go down to Hope's stomach. It shouldn't come as a surprise that Hope has a toned stomach, but still. When Josie looks back up at her girlfriend's face, Hope is blushing.

 

Josie smiles to give Hope a little comfort. "Can you lie down on the bed for me?"

 

"Uh, yes." 

 

The first notes of a new song comes on, and Josie smiles when she recognizes it. The brunette watches as Hope lays down on her back. After a couple of seconds of watching the auburn haired girl, Josie stands up. She makes sure to make eye contact with Hope, and without breaking it, she slowly takes her own shirt off. She smirks a little when she sees Hope's eyes widen, and sees her take a deep breath. Then, Josie climbs back on the bed, and lays down by Hope's side. The brunette lays on her right side, as close to Hope as possible. This way, she can look at her girlfriend, and touch her. Josie leans in an leaves a kiss on Hope's cheek. Then she moves her mouth to her girlfriend's ear, making sure to brush it with her lips as she speak.

 

"You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

 

Hope shivers and turns her head to connect her lips to Josie's. They kiss for a couple of seconds before Hope pulls away.

 

"Funny, I wanted to say the same thing about you."

 

Josie giggles before looking back down at Hope's stomach. 

 

"I'm gonna touch you a little now, okay?"

 

Hope nods eagerly, making Josie smile again. The brunette puts her hand just below Hope's breasts and slowly moves it down. It immediately gets goosebumps on Hope's stomach and Josie's smile gets softer. She softly caress the skin of Hope's stomach for a couple of seconds before slowly moving up again, stopping just before Hope's breast. 

 

"Can I touch you with your bra on?"

 

"You can touch me with my bra off if you want." Hope says with a smirk.

 

Josie rolls her eyes. "Fine, as you wish. Sit up, I'll take it off."

 

They both sit up in bed, and Josie goes to unhook Hope's bra, only to stop herself a moment later.

 

"Am I taking things too slow?" Josie asks.

 

Hope quickly looks at her. "No! Please, don't think that. Everything feels perfect right now. I just… can't wait to feel your hands on me."

 

"Okay, good."

 

Josie leans in and presses a soft kiss on Hope's shoulder just as she finishes to unhook the pink bra her girlfriend is wearring. Josie slowly pulls the bra down, and swallows with difficulty as her eyes catches sight of her girlfriend's boobs for the first time. As soon as she tossed the bra aside, Josie looks back at Hope, and she's surprised to be pulled in a quick kiss.

 

"Can you take yours off too? Or can I?" Hope says as soon as their lips are no longer touching.

 

Josie nods with a smile. "Do you think you can do it?"

 

"Sure!"

 

Hope smiles and quickly starts to work on the hook. After about of minute, Josie can't help but let a little laugh out before turning around to look at Hope.

 

"Babe…" Josie says with a little smile when she sees the cute frown on Hope's face.

 

"I can do it! Just… give me some time."

 

"Okay, yeah. Take your time."

 

Hope gets back to work. She fumbles a little more with Josie's bra, and after a minute or so, she sighs in defeat.

 

"Jo… I don't think I can."

 

Josie looks back at Hope, and the look of defeat on Hope's face makes her smile as she feels bad for her. The brunette quickly pecks her girlfriend's lips.

 

"It's fine. Next time, okay?" 

 

"Okay."

 

One more peck, and then Josie reaches behind her back to unhook her bra. It takes her a second, and then she can toss her bra aside.

 

Hope rolls her eyes. "I can undo mine just as easily, believe me."

 

"Of course my love." Josie says with a playful glint in her eyes.

 

"You're beautiful, by the way." Hope blurts out. "Like, everything about you is beautiful."

 

"Thank you Hope." Josie says. "Lie back down please."

 

The auburn haired girl doesn't protest, instead she quickly lies down. Soon, they're in the same position as earlier. With Hope lying on her back, and Josie on her side pressed up against Hope. Now though, it feels a lot different because Hope can feel Josie breasts against her arm, and it makes her ache for more. Josie's hand falls on Hope's stomach, and she gently caresses it again before moving up.

 

"Still okay?"

 

"Yeah."

 

Josie kisses Hope's neck as she moves her hand and cups one of Hope's breast with it. Hope stops breathing for a second,

 

"Breathe my love."

 

The older girl exhales and closes her eyes, deciding she just needed to feel what was coming next. Josie's hand softly massages Hope's breast, and slowly the nipple in her hand hardens. Josie looks at Hope's face, and what she sees pleases her. Hope's head is resting on the pillow, her eyes are close and her mouth is open. The brunette moves a little until she's hovering Hope. She leans in slowly, and when her mouth is nearly on Hope's second breast, Josie stops. She knows Hope can feel her breathing on her, so she waits just in case Hope'd stop her, but she doesn't. Josie kisses Hope's boob softly, on all the skin she can find there. She saves the nipple for the end though. When she finally takes it in her mouth, the moan that escapes Hope is enough to send a wave of arousal in Josie's body. If she wasn't turned on before… She keeps on playing with Hope's breast with her hand, and busies her mouth with the other. She kisses, sucks, nips… Every little detail getting a different sound out of Hope. After a long moment, Josie makes a trail of kisses up from Hope's breast, to her neck and finally ends with her girlfriend's mouth.

 

"Ready for the next step?" Hope doesn't trust her voice, so she nods instead. "Use your words my love."

 

"Y-yes. Please."

 

"I'm gonna take your pants off now, okay?"

 

Hope nods again, but when she sees Josie's eyes she quickly speaks. "Yes."

 

Josie smiles one last time before leaving a lingering kiss on Hope's lips. She's surprised when Hope actually chases her mouth when she pulls away. So, with a giggle, Josie leaves a final peck to her girlfriend's lips before moving away. The brunette sits on her knees near Hope's legs, and quickly unbuttons her pants. She takes her sweet time to take Hope's pants off. Josie makes sure to touch Hope's skin as she drags the pants down and it sends shivers down Hope's whole body. When the only piece of clothing left on Hope's body is her panties, Josie lies back down next to Hope and pulls her in a hug.

 

"How do you feel?"

 

"Naked." Hope chuckles. "No, but really I feel awesome. Loved."

 

"Good."

 

Hope turns her head and kisses Josie. As she reciprocate the kiss, Josie touches Hope's skin. She lingers on her boobs, for a while, getting moans and sighs out of Hope. 

 

"Sh-should I touch you too?" Hope asks.

 

Josie chuckles. "Not now, okay? Another time, let me take care of you tonight."

 

"Are you sure? I can-"

 

Josie cuts her off. "No, it's okay, really."

 

Josie's hands travels down, and she plays with the fabric of Hope's panties. Soon, Hope's hand cover hers. 

 

"I want this, like really want this. I just… remember to be gentle, okay? I'm kinda scared."

 

"I promise you, my only aim is to pleasure you."

 

"Kiss me one more time before we go further, okay?"

 

Instead of replying, Josie smiles and leans in to kiss Hope. The kiss is brief, but it still leaves them breathless and with goofy smiles on their lips. Josie kisses Hope's shoulder as she slips her hand in her panties. She's pleasantly surprise to feel wetness between Hope's folds. The foreplay paid off. Hope's breath hitches, and Josie whispers in her hear to keep breathing, and then she kisses Hope jaw. Josie uses her fingers to gently open Hope's lower lips. Then the brunette decides to start gently by playing with her girlfriend's clit. 

 

"Oh my god." Hope lets out.

 

Josie doesn't say a word, she just keeps kissing Hope's jaw, her neck and her shoulder. Hope's moans are like music to her ears. After a moment, and many more curses from Hope, Josie decides it's time.

 

"Can I go further?"

 

This time, when Hope nods, Josie accepts it as an answer. With one last kiss on Hope's shoulder, Josie slides a finger in. Hope's fingers come to grip Josie's forearm, and her fingers sink deep into the brunette's skin.

 

"Ah!"

 

Josie doesn't move. She stops, waiting for a reaction from Hope. After a couple of seconds, Hope's fingers relax around Josie's arm and she releases it.

 

"Did I hurt you?" Josie asks in the crook of Hope's neck.

 

"No, not really. It was just… new, and I didn't expect it to feel like that."

 

"Okay. Do you wanna keep going?"

 

"Yes, please."

 

"Good."

 

Josie starts moving her finger in and out of Hope in a slow and steady rythm. At first Hope's body tenses, but soon she relaxes and even starts to moan again. 

 

"Can you, like, go a little faster?"

 

"Sure my love."

 

She quickens her pace and soon Hope's moans are more frequent and loud. Hope grips Josie's shoulder, and somehow, it makes Josie go a little faster.

 

"Can I h-have more?"

 

"I can add another finger, but I can't go faster." Hope nods. "You want that? Another finger in?"

 

"Y-yes."

 

Josie slows down her rythm, and when she's nearly stopping, she adds a second finger. Just like when she put the first one in, Josie stops and let Hope adjust to the new stretch. This time, it takes Hope a lot less time to adjust and soon enough Josie starts moving again. It's a couple of minutes in that Hope's body tenses.

 

"Jo… I feel… I feel like-"

 

"Like you're gonna cum?" Josie supplies.

 

"I-I… like I'm gonna explode."

 

Josie giggles. "Let me make that happen. Kiss me my love."

 

Hope turns her head and quickly does as she's told. With that kiss, Josie uses her second hand to play with Hope's clit as she still puts her fingers in and out of her. With a final cry from Hope, Josie feels her walls tightens against her fingers.

 

"Josie!"

 

The brunette gently lets Hope ride out her orgasm, and when the auburn haired girl calms down and her breathing becomes normal again, Josie pulls her fingers out.  The brunette places a gentle kiss on Hope's jaw before pulling away a little and reaching for the tissues on Hope's nightstand. She takes her time to wipe her fingers before coming back to cuddle the older girl. Hope sighs and opens her eyes to look at her girlfriend with loving eyes.

 

*** SMUT OVER ***

 

"I love you so much right now." Hope manages to get out.

 

"I love you too. The moment we just shared means the world to me."  Josie says back.

 

"Just like it does to me. I'll never forget the way I felt just now." Hope says before leaning in and pressing her lips to Josie's.

 

Hope doesn't try to deepen the kiss, and Josie does the same. The kiss stays chaste and they both enjoy it just as much as the passionate ones they shared while they were having sex. Josie buries her face in Hope's neck once they break the kiss. 

 

"You should probably shower." Josie whispers in her neck.

 

"Yeah, I should." Hope sighs out. "Will you join me?"

 

"If that's what you want."

 

"It's the only thing I want right now."

 

Hope pulls away, only to to roll on her side and face Josie. When they're face to face, they can finally look each other in the eyes. Hope's blue ones look like an ocean of emotions, and Josie's warm brown eyes are as calm as the time before a storm. 

 

"I strongly believe in us Josie Saltzman." 

 

"So do I Hope Mikaelson." 

 

Hope smiles and leans her forehead on Josie's. 

 

"Listen to me, okay? This is only the start of our story. I'm pretty sure the first chapter just ended, but there's gonna be so much more to come. Through all of what's to come, I promise to love you and treat you with the respect and kindness you deserve. I'm yours, Josie, only yours."

 

"Let me tell you how I feel, 'cause this time it's real, Hope."  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END.
> 
> It was my first time writing smut, I hope it was fine !
> 
> I'm gonna explain why it ends like that... BECAUSE I'LL WRITE A SEQUEL!
> 
> Josie's last words are actually the title "let me tell you how I feel ('cause this time it's real)"
> 
> I really hope you liked this final chapter. I hope to see you there when I'll upload the sequel, if not, I'm happy you read this one.
> 
> The songs :   
> Meant for me - Lewis Watson  
> Fall for you - We Three  
> Kiss me - Ed Sheeran  
> Nothing's gonna hurt you baby - Cigarettes after sex
> 
> Thanks to every one of you. This has been one hell of a ride.


End file.
